When Her Heart Settled
by moon dogie
Summary: A long gone friend, a feeling of love that bloomed painfully strong after it was already too late. A dead end relationship fated to crash, throwing two old friends into separate new lives never to look each others way again. a new chance, and a choice. Maka X Fim-Crona
1. Chapter 1

(from the author) Hi, this is Daniel, not an impostor. why would you think that? Iv'e been writing these story for a few years now and if your familiar with my writing you know that English has not always been my friend nor has grammar. well that's why iv'e been doing this silly thing for so long, I've really gotten better over the years. when i was in school i had a complex learning disorder that made reading and writing very difficult for me and I'm proud to say that those days are far behind me but i still have along way to go. if you like these storys, or don't like them, have some asinine comment or want to talk about the capriciousness of existence and the fragility of life, PLEAS write a comment, i want to hear what you have to say and i do so love it when people say nice things because my ego is that dependent on nice people like you. check out some of my other story's if you want, and don't pay any attention to the mountains of spelling errors, DO NOT LOOK AT THEM OR THEY WILL TAKE YOU. and that pretty much it. and i don't own soul eater no matter how hard i pray to the old gods, its just not going to happen.

And hay, thank you SO MUCH..

(Years ago)

Maka stood next to her dear friend on the marvel staircase of the DWMA, her fingers loosely intertwined with Crona's. Maka glanced over at her glazed expression, fixed on the horizon, her mouth open so very slightly, her breath only a whisper. She dared not speak, afraid that the emotions welling inside of her would over take her, but she needed very desperately to speak, but she knew that she didn't have the courage, she couldn't bring herself to say what very well may have been her last chance to say, she saw a car approaching, Crona's eyes were still pointed forward and to the sky. Maka bit her lip, the moment of such sorrow was nigh. Maka lowered her head and heard the squealing of the breaks as the cab slowed in front of the curb. Crona blinked, casting her hallow gaze to the cab, she frowned as she felt Maka's grip tighten around her own, and for a moment Crona hung her head low next to Maka's "don't be sad." she said, which had the opposite effect on Maka that was intended. The tears pushed closer to exiting their red, irritated ducts. "ill be better when I get back.." she drifted off. Maka's voice cracked as she lowly spoke "Crona I-" she was enraptured by the voice of a young man. "are we ready to go?" Kid stood by the passenger door of the car. Crona looked over at him, and nodded. She looked at Maka. "Maka?" she tilted her head forward to her. Maka rapped her arms around her tightly, Crona returned the embrace. "your my best friend.." she said, Crona nodded. "and you were my first." kid watched silently and patently, he knew the pain it would cause to rush their goodby, and in the end their final destination wasn't going anywhere. The embrace loosened, they held each other at arms length, Maka still held what she wanted to say. "promise me your going to come back?" Crona nodded "i promise." there was one last moment of silence. Crona turned toward Kid, she took a step forward, she felt Maka's hand still tightly held to hers as she took another half step Maka stayed in place. One final step and her hand was still held tightly and stretched to her side to where Maka stood holding her hand. "i have to go now Maka." there eyes met. "please don't." Maka mouthed silently, tears starting to spill out and stream down her face. Crona,s own tears worked away at her composure, but as maka's friend she was determined not to let Maka see her cry. "I'm sorry Maka. Good bye.." their fingers slowly slipped apart. Maka's arm fell to her side as she silently wept, she was supposed to be the strong one, the person that made Crona unafraid, and here she was balling her eyes out watching her go. Crona descended the stairs, her head hung low with grief and face twisted in morbid proportions. She made her way to the car, kid opened the door for her. She turned to Maka one last time, waving to her, but Maka did not wave back, she doubled over with a fit of sobs. Crona turned her head to Kid, who looked on sympatheticly. "she'll be okay. I promise we'll keep a good eye on her." kid assured her, Crona nodded and sat into the back seat, she did not feel asured. She looked up to see Soul descending the staircase toward Maka. Soul and Crona's eyes met briefly. He narrowed his eyes and glowered at her showing his teeth. Crona's expression showed confusion, as kid shut the door she watched through the window as soul placed his hand on her back, he was saying something but she couldn't hear what it was. Maka looked at him with a red tear streaked face. Kid sat in the front seat and closed his door. Only a second later the driver started down the long drive. Crona let out a breath as she passed them by, and her friend left her view. She placed her face in her palms and finally began to cry. Kid was silent, he couldn't help but feel partially responsible for all the grief, but this had to be done, for Crona's own sake, for everyone, for death city.

(ten years later)

Maka pushed a sturdy gray plastic cart down the vacant isles of the library, judging by the thickness and curios titles of each of the books they were presumably interesting, but not important to this story, the books were merely part of the narrative that you are now analyzing far to thoroughly, seriously, dial it back just a bit. The weals of the cart squeaked, they always squeaked, she always said that she was going to fix that but she never did. It was not hot or cold in the library, it was a book friendly neutral but one could guise by Maka's heavy trench coat that perhaps she felt it was a little to cold, perhaps she always wore this coat. The gray wool tail of the coat hung past her white porcelain knees. Her firm gloved hand pushed the cart ever closer to its destination, it was a nondescript destination within the vast unending rows of the labyrinth of bookshelf's but she knew the precise location and in an instant upon arrival she stopped. Her stern emerald eyes glanced down at the books in front of her, she gathered them and set them in the places that they belonged, she may have read some of them, some she had read all the way through, but she recognized each of their names, she knew their authors and what they were about, some in a vague seance others in full comprehension. In a split second she could feel movement, she felt it in the souls of her boots, subtle as a pin drop. She could feel the vibrations in the roots of her scalp under her short blond hair. In a quick snap of movement she focused down the hallway squinting across the vast distance. At the end she could see a man, he was thin, with black hair, his suit was also black, so black that it swallowed the light around it spitting out a gray aura around his frame. She knew few people who were so sinister, yet so sharply dressed as he. They stood still, both in silent understanding of one anothers presence. Maka set the last book in its place and locked her eyes back on the slender-ish man in the black suit with his perfect black hair with one imperfect white smudge off to the corner. She started his way at a librarians pace, quick, stiff and commanding of her surroundings, she knew him, but yet who was he in her fortress of knowledge? She moved faster than any mortal man, the space and time of the library bending to her will. There was a booming echo as she came and stood inches from her guest, an echo that spoke for her, it said 'I am here.' or 'I am everywhere.' quite possibly both at the same time. the guest opened his mouth and said..."hay, I brought your lunch." he lifted a paper sack with her name written in marker on the brown exterior. Maka smiled pleasantly. "oh thanks kid, that's so sweet of you." there was a brief silence as kid lowered the bag. "yes well, hungry librarians are bad news for students." he said jokingly yet in a way they both knew he wasn't joking but she decided to feel entertaind. Maka graciously took the bag. Kid's smile was always sublet, as were the range of his emotions most of the time, he was generally a reserved man although his fiery, fervent, some would say worryingly obsessive passion for symmetry, efficiency and immaculance was the only thing that would rattle forth emotions within him of such anger, sorrow, elated joy at its best or depressive fits of sobbing at its worst. Today he seemed in control of his mental facultys, unless Maka were to spill a bag of unsorted marbles on the floor in witch case he would spend the rest of the day sorting them by size and shape and color and perhaps weight and glass composition while murmuring to himself and examining each for hours. There was no dumping of marbles however. They walked with each other to the library office where Maka kept her things. "it was very nice of soul to just come by and drop your lunch off like that, he must really care." Kid said, Maka briefly paused, she nodded "yeah." in a way she said this to asure herself if anyone. That's what kid expected but he knew that it was not the answer she wanted to give him. "yeah, I guise he has the time anyway, and he dose care" she smiled, a smile that slowly evaporated "he cares..." kid did not smile at all, his gaze was one of Pitty, even if she hated that look, even if she would say nothing about hating that look.. he made an awkward swallow. "so, no luck finding a job for him?" Maka shook her head, kid was silent and so was she but kid could feel as it went on it became an angry silence. "tuna salad." Kid said. Maka looked up at him with a renewed expression "what?" kid pointed at the paper sack on her desk "he said it was tuna salad. Said it was you favorite." Maka made a noise in her throat of a raspy still born laugh. And smiled with an odd humor only they understood. "yeah..last week he said grilled cheese was my favorite." kid chortled as if to say 'yes I remember' there was a silence between them, they shared the same smile that didn't quite match the emotions a smile was supposed to portray, they both knew what the other was thinking but this was not the time not the place to speak of it. "maybe we can go get dinner some time. You don't think he would mind do you? Just you and I?" Maka lifted her eyebrows with surprise. "sure kid. I'm sure we can work something out." he nodded in response and looked away. "good, good..i have to go now Maka, enjoy your lunch." "thanks kid." with a last glance up at her he departed, silently walking down the rows with a dutiful posture.

(?)

my mind is a fog of half formed thought and aimless run on ideas.

I understand nothing of what is happening around me, I see only blurs and colors and I can hear

only a faint squeak. I am holding something in my hand, thick, made of steal, wrapped in cloth? Strips? Strips of cloth..that's right. If there is anything I understand it is that I like the way it fits in my hand, as well as the slick and wet and sometimes...sticky feeling that washes over my knuckles, between my fingers and in the creases of my palm. My hand dose not slicken, I do not loosen my grip- NO...no.. it becomes stronger. The color is red, it is so often red, and black...and black...black..

the random stabs of pain in what I can loosely recognize as my own body, they become exhilarating but slowly grind into excruciating pain, I can feel my eyes bulging in my pounding head, and swaths of foam washing between my teeth and down my face with a taste in my mouth that I cannot place nor can I escape, I don't want to see my reflection, I must be something truly awful. But maybe I'm dead, maybe iv been dead for very long time or maybe that life I vaguely remember was a dream and this is life, this is what real life is. Some times I think that is true, sometimes I wish I would die or that I could live again or start over in a life that is not this, I can pray only for a peaceful oblivion in the sea of blackness.

(Death City Active Duty Apartments)

She couldn't have anything to complain about today, he thought so surely. Soul had all of his bases covered and everything squared away. Sense he woke up at noon he only had four hours to clean up their small apartment but yu know, time just get away from a man with so busy a schedule. You have to have breakfast and check your emails, you have to watch the news, because how else are you going to know what happening in the world? and then you got to take the occasional obligatory glance at Face Book, Patty tagged him in three photos, THREE so it would have been rude to just ignore that. That's it, time just got away with him and she was just going to have to understand that. After he threw the empty beer bottles from the night before safely onto the sidewalk outside he turned his attentions to the dishes. They had an agreement, sense soul did not currently hold a job it was his responsibility, Maka was lucky that he was such a responsible boyfriend.. after he washed them, and by wash I mean he ran some hot water over them and just got the flakes of food off of them, he dried them and put them away, easy. He turned his attentions then to his personal grooming, he put put on some fresh clothes and washed his hair in the sink because showers are for dorks. Wow all of that before a four PM? A buisy day, he hoped that Maka wouldn't give him any grief over just how difficult her job was, what a bother you know?

Maka walked in two hours after her usual time of arrival. Soul sat on the couch enjoying a bag of Doritos and playing Call Of Honor. She walked past him silently. He watched her only moving his eyes as she trudged through the apartment. He wanted to say something like 'where have you been.' but even a man as dim as him could read the expression on the corner of her face and so he remained silent.

Maka's eyes were focused on a brown paper bag on the table, a certain brown paper bag that soul was supposed to bring to her during lunch. She blinked thinking back to earlier that day when Kid brought her lunch. But yet it was sitting right here. She took a few steps forward and grabbed the sack with a crushing grip and pored the contents onto the table. She stared at it, ham and Swiss and a half eaten bag of chips. She lifted her head, her gaze burned through the wall. She turned her head to him, he was already looking at her. "do you even care?" she asked simply. Soul seemed surprised by the question, he answered with reflex and instinct, but not with any thought. "yeah- uh, yes..i do." he said trying to assure her, he stood rather uncomfortably taking the sentiment of a few steps toward her. "whats wrong?" Maka looked at him for a very long time, she didn't say anything, the look on her face though said a lot.

Maka closed the bedroom door and sat down at her desk, she turned on the lamp and put her face in her hands. Why did anyone think that this was the person she was destined to call her own? What did all the others see that she did not? He was once a capable young man. What happened to him? What changed when he became a death scythe? He was supposed to become stronger, to be more motivated, instead he became worse than her father, he didn't even try, maybe he did love her but he was the same as he was in high school, no cares, no motivation, no plans. He sat around the house while she worked, her name was on the leis and on more than one occasion she helped him pay off his credit card debts. Just because they graduated together, that they were partners in school and were close friends, everyone expected them to get together and stay together, it seemed to her that maybe she was the only one who realized that was all wrong. She knew all those years ago that she should have said what she needed, should have told Crona the truth, gods know, she could have waited, if she had only said what she needed, she would have wated as long as it took, but she just stood there and watched her leave. "oh Maka, what a fool...oh Maka..." she would say to herself. Then she would remember the letters. The occasional mail she would get from Crona. Letters and poems, she would wish Maka well and tell her things that were on her mind, she would tell her not to worry and that she would be home soon, some times she wondered if Crona knew how long it had actually been. Two years ago the letters stopped, no matter how many letters Maka wrote to her she never got a reply. Time to time she would read the letters and she would feel a whole lot better, but at the same time unmeasurably worse. She sat again, tonight reading the letters. "god, Crona...where are you?" she leaned back in her seat "ill do anything..just.." she fell silent, unable to utter another word.


	2. Chapter 2

(somewhere, in a Place you never heard of)

The dull chopping beat of the helicopter echoed in the trees and off the stone face of the massive keep. The LZ was dimly lit by post lights damaged by age and some by means of force, the eighty watt bulbs providing some light for a pilot that didn't even need it. The helmeted man in the cockpit landed the tandem Chinook helicopter with the grace of a dainty butterfly, a butterfly full of other similar men but with sets of substantially more dangerous equipment and accoutrements. The breach ramp lowered and they all stood with their carbines and their sub machienguns and other platforms of piercing death. They marched in a synchronized tactical speed down the ramp and into the court yard in two unflinching columns. One final operator came down the ramp pushing what for all intents and purposes could be described as a heavy restraint chair. Two gaunt men with darkened sleepless faces stood at the door, they were clad in heavy white guard and padded uniforms. Black ink iron crosses stamped over the heart of their uniforms. They said nothing but opened the doors as if they had been expecting the troops the entire time, it was likely by the lack of eye contact or even acknowledgment that they were, and that it was not the first time. The vinyl tiles under their feet chipped away under their black heavy boots as they clomped diligently down the hall, their weapons clutched to their body's. A nurse, or someone at least who looked like a sort of nurse opened yet another door for the troops, the hallway that they marched into was lined on either side with doors and as they steadily moved down the hall, their eyes fixed forward, the doors became stronger, thicker and heavier, yu' know, the kind to keep someone somewhere indefinitely, especially if it is against their will. At the end was the heaviest door of all. Locked with multiple locks and crossed by heavy chain. A thick shaky 'NO' was written on the door with what was likely spray paint. Two armed guards dressed in white stood on either side of the door, there was a worried sag on their faces, they had seen much, heard much and wished to forget all, they averted their hallow gaze and turned to remove the locks and the chains.

(and behind that door)

A single light hung from a moth eaten cord. In a thick wooden restraint chair sat a figure. Limp and catatonic, it sat without any movement. Crona sat in a sate of death like sleep, with a cocktail of drugs in her veins, she could not dream, coherent thoughts were so troublesome to form that she had given up. They had only had her locked up in this room for the past two years, after her escape attempt, at least now she could sleep, even if it was one induced by chemicals that would no doubt twist her already damaged mind like a kitten with a ball of yarn. But she was always looking for that next step closer to true death. She could hear a sound that made her rouse, she could confirm that she was not dead yet. She weekly lulled her head upward. her eyes were different, they were so much sharper now, like her own mothers, her black pupils were gone, only the piercing whites of her eyes remained. Her skin was pale as if she had not seen the sun in the entire decade that she was gone. her robes were a far cry from what they were, they were extravagant like some military dressing, thick dark green wool sewn into a black robe, thick padding on her shoulders and chest in an ornate fashion, thick Kevlar cuffs on her wrists and dark heavy leather gloves that tucked down into her sleeves, cotton leggings tucked in underneath slim but tall black boots buckled up to her knee. The iron cross sewn on the lower half of the robe that formed the skirt. She couldn't recall how she had gotten these clothes but she really wasn't worried about it, The fact that she was wearing anything at all was never really on her mind. The noise, that noise behind the door, metal clanging against metal, the trivial clanging of the chains dropping to the concrete floor and the hand of haggard orderly opening a door that he didn't want to open. The bottom of her barely open eye twitched.

Outside, the guard flipped through the key ring, he looked nervously back at the point-man of the squad, staring at him impatiently through a pair of what could be described as ski goggles. "there's just so many of these keys you know..." he said with a dry laugh and with a contorted tremor of anxiety at the end. He found the right key and stuck it into the lock and turned it. He froze and stared blankly at the floor as the final chain hit the ground. seconds later he was pushed aside by the point-man who placed his hand on the door latch and pulled it open. The door opened with a loud and declamatory clank that announced their entry, there was no light from the hall to cut through the darkness of the room but it was suddenly flooded with these heavily armed men and women. Four operators went to each corner of the room leaving the remaining three to attend to Crona in the center of the room. The corner men turned there guns to Crona who still sat heavily drugged and immobile in the room but now slightly more aware. Crona remarked how chunky their tactical vests and plate carriers made them look, they looked like toy solders, action figures meant to be held in the sticky hands of a child. The way they jabbered all sorts of jargon and nonsense made her head hurt, she winced as one of the closest men flashed a bright light into her face. "wake up." he commanded. goggles shoved the man with the flashlight. "knock it off Karl. If you wake her up we're leaving your ass in here with her." Karl was silent, he wanted to make some sort of comeback but it would have been unwise. The white clad guards began to work loos her restraints. Karl pointed his flashlight at the ground, in his lapsed concentration he saw something on the floor. Something written, something rubbed or scuffed into the floor forming letters making a short word, or possibly a name? "Maka. who the fuck is Maka?" Crona's eyes snapped open. "it doesn't matter. Stay focused." the goggled captain commanded. "whats the hold up here?" he asked turning his head to the white uniformed guards. "this- restraint, its old, it gets stuck and." he was shoved away once more by the captain who began to jerk at the leather restraint.

Without a ruffle of sound Crona's hand swiftly grabbed the captains goggles and pulled the elastic to the max, releasing them intern sending them in pounding force into his face. Ripping the rotted restraint from the wooden arm of the chair took her no effort, Karl quickly smacked Crona with the butt of his rifle to little effect, Crona grabbed his head in zombie like motion and gouged her thumbs into his eyes until they began to bleed, the room was suddenly lit with gun fire, the sounds of their weapons were deafening but all she heard was Karl screaming. As he fought desperately against her grip. Karl was hit by the bullets of his own squad, he fell to his knees blind, bleeding and screaming. One after another the squad members ran dry on ammunition and soon they were all scrambling to reload their weapons. The captain was startled that aside from Karl an additional two squad mates had ether been hit or killed by crossfire. The white clad guards lay paralyzed on the ground with fear. His attention snapped suddenly back to Crona when she came for him. Crona stared at the blood that ran down his cheeks from her earlier assault. He cocked his fist and aimed a right handed punch for her open face earning a stumble, she gave him an empty sideways stare, he hit her once more, and again, he pounded his fist into the back of her neck and as she fell forward he smashed his knee into her face. Sending her crashing to the floor. The remaining squad members began to empty what ammunition they had left into her limp frame. Her blood puddled all around the room. It was thick and black as motor oil, it mixed and deluded with the red blood of the squad men. Finaly the ammo of their main guns ran out, the barrels glowing red with heat. Some pulled their side arms, others tended to the wounded. The remaing guns trained on her body. "bloody needles.."

from the floor, from the walls, from every surface that was stained with her black blood came long spears and pikes of solid black blood, they skewered armor and flesh alike. There were screams and howls as Crona in the middle of the slaughter was lifted by black slender and stilted arthropod legs that protruded from her back like a spider, she was set upright on her feet as she looked timidly around at the wailing suffering survivors. She cast her glance at the captain, as he writhed and gasped on the ground, his chest had been impaled all the way through and was loosing pints of blood by the moment. She slowly bent down to him, extending her hand out to his face, he watched her curios face as the light began to fade. She grabbed his ski goggles and pulled them off of him, she stood and looked at them in her hand, splattered with his blood drenched with his sweat. "but..its not even winter yet." she said with a clear confusion in her voice "do you even own a calendar?" she said looking back down the the captain who was now dead. "but they are kind of neat." she dropped them to the side and walked casually out of the room.


	3. Chapter 3

(Ten Years ago)

An uncomfortable chair, florescent lighting, blank walls and a freshly printed piece of paper, and the ticking clock, there's always ticking clock when it is least needed, when your judgment is panicked enough already. Maka looked at her friends gathered around the same medium sized table as she was, most of them had already started marking their paper. Maka looked down at hers, the first inquiry a clear indication to the rest of the questionnaire. The questions asked were not at all ambiguous, they wanted to know X you answer X, this was not a test it was in fact a trial, maybe the precursor of a trial or simply the facet to a decision of a higher power. Maka squinted, evaluating each question before she made her first mark. She could see that around the table everyone else had begun, making their decisions with less consideration. She knew what would happen if she spoke to them, if she told them to slow down and think of what was at stake but she knew, she knew who was behind the two way glass, looming silhouettes, maybe she didn't know, no she didn't, hadn't the first clue but they wouldn't be hiding if their intentions were pure, these were the people that were going to take Crona away, they were responsible for that sheet of paper right in front of her. Their psychologists had already evaluated Crona, now they wanted Maka and her friends to seal Crona's fate by telling them what they wanted to know. Death City was a place for Special people a place for the sick for those who would be given home nowhere else, why send Crona away? she fought so hard, argued with lord death until she was blue in the face, they listened, they did not hear. Now it came to this, the dull terminology of this damning document made her grimace. The only thing that she could do was answer in every way possible to protect her friend, and she hoped that the others would do the same. At the end of the hour their time was up and the papers were taken for whatever purpose they would end up serving.

And looking back, it was, is, impossible for Maka not too feel guilt, sadness that she could not have done more and that she was just as responsible for Crona's detention as anyone else, she wanted to fight harder but she could not, or she could have fought harder but..she did not. That scenario played quite often in her head. Perhaps she carried with her not only guilt, but a certain amount of malice toward the powers at be, it was so small now and in stasis, like a seed of a tree in sticky capsule of prehistoric sap, what would one day be unearthed by nature and washed asunder by the rain, what tragedy would bloom, what calamity if she were to carry out a vengeance for the loved one that she could have had, that she had the chance to have, but that she was to week to grasp and to protect. It was a sadness, it was a bleeding wound, not physically but emotionally.

(present time)

soul knocked on the bedroom door. "Maka.." he jiggled the doorknob but it was locked "dude its just lunch. Look I'm sorry, dont make me sleep on the couch." There was no answer but the door unlocked, after a moment he opened the door and entered, he caught Maka as she walked back to the desk and sat down, his eyes fallowing her in the dark room. "do you want to talk about this or something? I promise I wont forget tomorrow." "my god, you still think this is about my stupid lunch?"she turned with a biting expression. Soul raised his eyebrows. "it is. isn't it?" he retorted. "No soul! God damn no! You have been unemployed, sitting around for six months and iv been letting you get by with that because I believed there was a good person inside of you and you just hadn't found your feet. I love you soul, or I did." she gave him a chance to respond but she could see that he was still trying to come to terms with what was clearly happening. "you wont even help, our apartment looks like shit when I get home, you haven't even bathed, and you wont even take the time, your time, and the effort that you have to do all this." "I'm not unemployed, I'm a death scythe!" soul said in a declamatory way flailing his arms. "and you haven't done anything with that title seance we graduated, the graduation I carried you to." "then why are you even with me?" he said, his expression turning in bitter anger. They were silent staring at each other until Maka spoke. "because I was week. I settled on you and I was stuck. But I'm done. A tuna sandwich was all it took for me to realize that I'm done." soul scoffed. "so what? What now?" "now? Now were over. Soul, this has got to end. I hope this is your wake up call but if you ever turn out for the better its going to be with someone else." soul turned away, he stomped over to the closset and yanked his jacket out. He grabbed his phone and some other things he had laying around wile maka watched him with a cold expression. "I'm going to black*stars." "good, you can live with him under whatever bridge he dose these days. And leave your key." "my key?" he bit the words as the flew frm his mouth. "your key, to the door. You dont live here anymore..." soul looked more concerned than he had during the entire confrontation. "your kicking me out." he said more than he asked. "yes that was implied." "you cant." he said shaking his head "can, my name is on the leas, my name only, you've never payed rent here. Isn't that just unbelievable? Just how did you convinc me to let you get away with that?" as she spoke he roughly searched through his pockets for the key, her angrily pulled it from the key chain and threw it against the wall. And stormed out. "make sure you have everything, I don't want you howling outside my door tonight because you forgot you wallet." "shut up!" he yelled from the other room, she watched him clomp through the hall and fling the door open, and slam it behind him, she blinked without remorse and then laughed so quietly but without mirth, it was a sad and dry laugh. She didn't find anything particularly funny but in that moment the door slammed shut, she couldn't help that one reflex. It was over.


	4. Chapter 4

(A derelict tomb)

The eyes of the serpent snapped open with intense verve, her slumbering body slunked to life from a long dormancy. Medusa's joints snapped and popped, grinding like the wells of a great machine unoiled and abused by time. Her skin was without its vitality's it crinkled like paper. She did not look at herself, she did not look around, Her eyes were fixed forward looking at nothing that happened to be in the room. She could feel a new disturbance, she could feel something, perhaps and exquisite opportunity, no, something greater something familiar, it resonated in her soul, she knew it by all means, deep and unmistakable, she could feel the presence of her beloved child. And week though it was, she could feel her for the first time in so long. She cared not for whatever the world had become during her sleep, this was news. She placed her skeletal feet on the cold stone floor of her lair and stood. She raised her arms to the side, spreading her fingers and tilted her head to the vaulted blackness of the stone crypt. From all corners and crevices vast and many, came her army of serpents, slithering and roiling over the cracks and up the ancient stone brick. They came to her intimately coiling around her feet, burrowing in through her dry and brittle skin. they crawled their way in as she let out a dry howl, great storms of dust and smoke swirled from her mouth as the ages slipped from her dried carcass, life began to flood back into her, first from her fingertips refurbishing her nimble fingers and gorgeous nails, her feet, dry and cracked they were becoming what they once had been and on and on the transformation went, her Golden locks became moist and vibrant. That gray long haggish face contorting, snakes moving about under the flesh of her cheeks and forehead, rotting eyes changing. Color flooded her face, a sharp grin pulling at her mouth, as one final snake slithered its way under her flesh across her face it was clear that she was not a corpse anymore, she was again the feared gorgon sister Medusa, the patron witch of anarchy.

(In that faraway place)

The heels of Crona's boots clicked down the hall as she walked diligently toward the light of the reception office. The drug induced haze began to lift, as she slowly remembered who she was, where she was, she felt that emotion most dangerous to her and to all around her, pure black madness and unadulterated rage. "Contact!" a voice shouted down a hall bisecting her current path as a white suited guard came running, waving a shotgun from the hip. She held her palm out to the side, without missing a step in stride she impaled him through his lunge with a black spear from a distance of ten feet, he jerked the trigger of his gun as he fell breathlessly on the floor, blood filling his lung, some of the blood was not his own. She didn't miss a beat as yet more guards came, she dispatched them one after another with efficiency and without mercy. A scythe like blade protruded from a self inflicted wound on her palm, it was made of the black blood and as more foolish men came to her path they could see there final reflection in her black sanguinary blade. "containment has been lost! Code Veronica! Call in code Veronica!" one gaurd spat just before the blackened glaive sliced through his skull from behind separating his upper cranium from his jaw and the rest of his body wich tumbled like jelly onto the concrete floor a final guard lay cowering but still pointing his pistol at her as it rest loosely and unwilling in his hand, she paid him very little mind at that moment. His back lain against the metal bars of the breach. As she came near the iron bars slammed shut with jarring bang of metal on metal. The guard flinched, his finger jerking against the polished steal trigger, the barrel cracked with fire spitting its impotent lead ball ammunition. They pierced her unflinching frame. As she came nearer he emptied his entire magazine, careless to save that one final bullet for himself. She grabbed him by the caller. "you can open the door.." she said under the blare of sirens but he knew what she said. "i cant!, this place is locked down, now were both stuck." Crona smiled wide showing her immaculate and pronounced white teeth. "but your the key." she declared through her cliched teeth and eyes so maddeningly wide. She grabbed the hair of the man's skull by the root. With strength beyond her stature she lifted him off his feet slamming his face into the bars. The guard screamed, a primal shriek of panic and pain and pain...and pain that echoed down the hall, his face twisting in horror and bleeding from a gash that had been pounded into his fractured skull. She pushed, though he struggled desperately, he wanted to live but she was determined to make him suffer and die for her unjust imprisonment. She pushed so hard, so hard that the skin of his checks instantly bruised against the hard iron bars, the slick blood gushing down his grimacing face lubricating as he painfully slid centimeters at a time through the bars until finally in an excruciating snap his entire head slipped through the bars. The blood rushed to his head, he blacked out from the tidal wave of blood flooding his brain. Crona grabbed him by the ankles and finished him off by jerking him back, and snapping his neck against the iron bars. She dropped his lifeless body as it slumped against the bars.

(death City active duty apartments)

The past was brighter than the future that she foresaw. Maka did not regret her past friendship with soul even if she grew completely apart from the person he was now. But she chose to remember him as he was. Maka took a very rare day off from work, she took the day to spend sorting through soul's things, she would bag up his cloths and box up things better suited to be thrown into a box, or not thrown, despite their words she took care to be respectful of his property most of which, yes she had more or less gotten for him, she placed it all neatly into the boxes, folding the cloths before stuffing them in the bag as a last parting favor for him as they likely would not be folded again until he found someone else to do it for him. She put everything, from his clothes to his Xbox, out in the hallway of the apartment building where he could come and collect his things. This was a turning point in her life, she told herself multiple times that it was a positive turning point and that it was better to be alone than to suffer though a relationship that lost all of its mutual love. Still she wished that she had someone to talk to, just someone, even her father, but even he, as useless has he was at times, had a job and was in the middle of doing said job, he didn't have time to run over and comfort his little girl as much as he would have been over joyed at her very consideration of calling him for once. She tried to smile and think next about the possibilitys, maybe there would be someone else in her life soon. But that was something that made her deeply depressed, beyond depressed, there was only one person she wanted in her life, but Crona was gone, she realized again as she had countless times before, Crona was gone, she was never going to see her again and it was pointless to hold out forever for her. She did not cry as she did the night before, this realization had broken her so many times before but now for the first time she was numb to the pain. She sat heavily on her couch having finally sorted everything out. She picked up the T.V. remote and turned it on. For the convenience of this story the television just happened to be set on the news where man with outrageously fine hair told the top stories of the day. "and now we must announce an urgent news bulletin. We are gathering reports In regards to an escaped lunatic from the timber creek asylum for the criminally insane." Maka squinted pointing the remote to the monitor and turning up the volume. "after an extremely vilent slaughter or what could have been a shoot out in the asylum leaving twenty five men and women dead, a single patent was known to escape, the residence of timber creek have been warned not to leave their homes and to lock their doors and window but encouraged to be highly vigilant, no name or information on the patent is available at news time..." Maka's Body Became heavy, she hardly noticed the hazy feeling that came over her as she was pulled closer to the screen by an unknown force in her own body. She had the urge to sit there, sit there until she knew more. But there was a knock at the door that woke her from the trance with a start. She looked over at it, she considered the door and who was on the other side, still she sat heavily as yet another knock rapped on the door, her body was so very very..heavy


	5. chapter 5

(from the author)

Hello again this is Daniel, writing to you from a cold and wet place in Tennessee. Hay if you've enjoyed this story and you want to talk about it or Soul Eater in general, if you have some ideas you would like to share then PM me or write a review or both, id actuly love that, I'd like to hear from the people who are actually reading this thing. I might be taking a break on this story for the month of December to catch up on this story and also possibly write a soul eater holiday story, wont that be a thing...This has all been fine, don't worry, I have not been replaced by an imposter.

And hay, thanks.

(seriously, where is Timber Creek anyway?)

A column of light shined through the trees of the timber creek forest cast by a whirring police helicopter over head that searched in vain through the thick canopy. Crona could here it, she took a brief rest in what was once a campground bathroom and pavilion, the water and power had been shut off so there was not much comfort or respite, she could only see by the light of the moon through a small hole in the tin roof and the slit window in the brick wall. She had gotten much farther this time than the last but in the end she had no real plan but the prospect of dying outside of the asylum walls was comforting, she was not going back, she had made up her mind. Truly she regretted taking the lives of those men but she had no choice. It was an injustice not just her imprisonment but the awful things that they did to her, and what they made her do, as time went on without medication in her system the memory's came clearer and clearer but so mutch was twisted beyond her recognition. She felt an itch under her sleeve, she peeled it back to give it a gentle scratch but as she did she felt a deep surgical scar on her wrist. Her fist tightened, aside from a first shocked, more than anything she was hard pressed to remember how this horrible scar came to trail its way up her arm. As it was her black blood always healed her wounds, even now she could feel the blood eating the last bits of lead out of her flesh and using it to strengthen itself, but this, how did this scar get on her arm? how had they done this? Why? She dared not investigate her own body any farther, not at the moment, she hadn't the time anyway. She took a few steps toward the door. In the distance a dog barked, her eyes opened fully, aware again of the concept of distance and what was in it searching her out. She peered out the door to see little lights dancing and weaving through the trees she thought like an army moving at night by torch light and perhaps she was not wrong. She silently stalked away from the aria.

She was having trouble seeing souls like a meister should. It had been a long time, as far as she could remember. they were faint if she could see them at all, it was just a strain on her mind to keep trying. The darkness of the forest concealed her well but it made her progress slow, stepping carefully and trying to not make a ruckus. She hardly noticed that she was walking only a few feet from a dirt road. She was caught by surprise by a sudden blinding light on the trail. Bright LED spotlights that shined from the roof of an armored vehicle that had been sitting idle with the engine switched off. No doubt the occupants had spotted her several moments before, and she had no clue that they were there until now. Crona cringed, not because she was afraid of them, partly because of the bright lights that seemingly made her surroundings translucent by their sheer blinding magnitude. But because she did not want a fight. To be clear, she knew she would win, she was absolutely sure as the men pored out from the doors like sheep to the slaughter, she cringed because she did not want to take any more lives that night but her hand was being forced. First she turned and ran even as the crack of low caliber weapons filled the air. This time none of the armed operators were killed by crossfire, boldly they pursued her. Crona's fleeing was taken as a sign that the tables had turned, that they had an upper hand but this was a dangerous delusion. Crona ran quickly and recklessly though the trees and twisted over growth, the only light from the LED torches of her pursuers. They were gaining on her, Crona's long strides were not enough to keep her far ahead. In the concealing darkness she fell, down a sharp slope into a shallow ravine in the woods, she fell onto bone jarring stones, ice cold claws of a steady river grazed her back. She gasped feeling the first bit of pain she had felt all night, In all this excitement she had forgotten all about pain, she thought about the bullets still inside of her flesh slowly being dissolved by the black blood and why she hadn't felt them before, maybe she did but she just didn't care before. Crona hated being wet, more than she hated bleeding in fact, bleeding she could deal with but this agitated her greatly. She looked up the embankment just in time to see her pursuers arrive along with the helicopter that hovered above shining its bright column upon them all, she disliked the light just as much as the cold water that soaked her robes. She grimaced and balled her fists looking up at the helicopter. She wondered why she couldn't just be free, why she couldn't be left alone, she would have never hurt anyone, she never wanted to. Seconds seemed like years but before any of her assailants could speak a word the thumb of god intervened. The helicopters engines erupted into a ball of fire. The blades ceasing and clattering in catastrophic failure, it fell like a stone from the sky into the forest where I exploded violently with almost cinematic flare. "that's my little girl!" echoed the voice of what they all assumed was that of a god, but Crona knew whose voice it was, she froze, a breath escaping her lips. She looked to the sky to see, floating in front of the indifferent moon, her mother. Two of the men were suddenly yanked by their feet into the darkness of the wood screaming. Two others found their throats inexplicably bleeding only to find out that their heads were no longer actually attached to their body's. The last operator was plucked from the ground seemingly by an unseen hand, he was slowly lifted, writhing and panting to face Medusa. She held in her hand a swirling mass of black snakes that formed a sphere. Grabbing him by the jaw and lip she forcefully opened his mouth, she grinned maliciously and she stuffed the ball of snakes into his mouth. She forced his mouth shut as he gagged and spit and struggled against whatever power held him. His eyes turned back in his head as they all slithered down his gullet. Once it seemed he had passed out Medusa lowered him halfway to the ground and dropped him the rest of the way. Crona watched silently, terrified. Medusa descended to the cold river, she landed and stood waist deep in the water face to face with Crona. She smiled in a motherly way but with a sinister twist only she could provide. "My child, I've come to take you home."

A large detachment of law enforcement closed in on the last known point of contact with Crona. They swarmed the river and the burning helicopter. One operator clad in a bandolier of bright red and absurdly large shotgun shells, pointed his flashlight to the trees after movement caught his weary eye, when to his surprise he found one of his missing comrades hanging by his pants wich were around his ankles then somehow wrapped around the tree limb as well. "wh-why!?" he pointed his entire hand. The others knew exactly what he was asking but they did not answer. They found the decapitated men as well and finally near the river bank they discovered the only surviving member of the team. He was examined by a man that looked like some sort of doctor, wearing things that doctors usually do, like hip waders, falconry gloves and a gas mask. The doctor put his ear near to the mans mouth and listened to his faint breaths. "it sounds like he has fluid in his lungs and throat, we need to treat him immediately." he said in a deep muffled voice. The other operators stood around looking at him and one another because it was both hard to understand him through his mask or take him seriously in last seasons out dated fashion for medical professionals. Whilst they stood around, the uncontentious operators stomach began to undulate with jarring, unnatural movements. They all stared at the rippling of the man's body. There was a pop, like that of a bag of chips in the grip of an overbearing child. This was the sound of the man's stomach after it expanded like a balloon with force, shredding his shirt and coat, his dark red blood spraying the on lookers as they, with varying levels of disgust and fright expressed their outrage. Snakes slitherd out from the mangled carcass. The physician yelped, scrambling back and then stiffly walking away from the scene entirely. They combed the woods searching for anything, but they found no traces down the riverbank or on the opposite side of the river, Crona had vanished.


	6. Chapter 6

(Death City active duty apartments.)

Maka rose from her couch and walked over to the door. She squared her shoulders and flattened her expression to one of monotone. She gripped the knob and opened it. She expected soul to be on the other side, come to ether ask for another chance or to retrieve something that she had forgotten to place with the rest of of his things but soul was not on the other side of the door. It was Tsubaki, dressed in business casual as she usually was these days. She smiled a little more sympatheticly than Maka would have liked but Maka didn't say anything about this. "hay, come in." she did. Without a word Tsubaki offered a friendly hug which Maka accepted. "I'm sorry about you and soul, Maka." Maka made another small humorless laugh "sorry is the last thinking I want anyone to be for me. But thanks." Maka smiled "this is whats best for me, and maybe its whats best for him too." Tsubaki nodded. Maka looked back at the television that was still tuned to the news but off on some human interest story about cat videos or something "i came here just to see you, to make sure your okay, everyone wanted to know." "I'm fine." Maka shrugged "never better." "are you sure?" Tsubaki asked with those sympathetic eyes once more. "yes, yes I'm okay, me and soul are through and that's just fine." Maka crossed her arms, Tsubaki seemed surprised "oh..well I'm glad." a soft wisp of laughter from Maka broke the tension. "are you going to find someone new?" Maka convolced She tried to utter a few words but she was unable. Tsubaki took a step foreword. "sorry, sorry I shouldn't have said that.." Maka walked over to the couch and sat down. Tsubaki grimaced and scolded herself mentally, she wasn't there to make Maka feel worse. "Tsubaki, I don't want soul, or anyone else in the world. I just want one person." she crossed her arms over her chest clutching herself, her face was gray with the inner turmoil she had been hiding. "has there ever been anyone in your life that you would do anything to have back?" she asked. Tsubaki came and sat down with her. She nodded, "i miss my brother, I wish that I could have made things turn out differently for him...who do you feel that way about?" Maka was silent for a moment considering to change the subject. "Crona." she said. Tsubaki blinked, it had been a long time seance she had thought about her, that girl or boy or what ever Crona was, that strange person that had come into their lives a decade ago, who in such a short time they had faced great eviles with and who suddenly was no longer part of their lives. Tsubaki, again with her sweet sympathetic eyes looked onto Maka waiting for her to continue. Maka's hands were still over her eyes. "pleas, just stop looking at me like that." she tightened her fists, "they took her away and lord death turned his back on Crona." she shook , her face turning red. "its his fault, its all his fault." "pleas, calm down, this is..where is this anger coming from?" "i loved Crona." "and Crona was very sick." Tsubaki said calmly "he was mentally ill, he needed to go somewhere safe." "this was the safest place that Crona could have been. Death city was made for people like her." Tsubaki stared at her, perhaps waiting for her to continue. "like doctor Stien, or Kid, like Black*star...Crona belonged here just like them. Can you even think of the last time any of them were sent away?" "i relies you want her back but-" "i want closure.." they both sat quietly waiting for the other to speak until Maka continued. "i don't want to wonder what happened to her anymore. I just want to remember her as my best friend. Then maybe I can move on.." Tsubaki, took a deep breath and put a hand on her shoulder. "we'll think of something."

(A document)

Dear sir

it is with great regret that all party's at Timber Creek Solutions Industries must inform you of unfortunate news. Fallowing the arrival of your collection team at three AM Tuesday morning, an incident occurred within our facility, involving your collection team and the specific product that they were sent to collect. We understand that you were very impressed with the performance of this product and after showing great interest, had purchased the product for the some of twenty million dollars. After the elimination of your personal collection team and of many Timber Creek staff, the product which you had ordered subsequently broke containment and is still at large. We must inform you, however that this order was not eligible for any form of refund, Timber Creek Solutions Industries are not liable for the loss of your collection team or the expenses of their mortality. It is clearly stated within the documents you signed upon completion of your purchase that you and you alone were responsible for life and limb of all assets of your corporation and personal property's. Timber Creek Solutions Industries would like to thank you for your continued patronage.

Timber Creek, Secure smiles start here.

Thank You  
Timber Creek Solutions Industries.


	7. Chapter 7

Join me, look up at the sky, stare into the sun with wide dumb eyes. have you ever seen anything so pointless and uninspiring?

Hello and welcome back! I'm Daniel and this is my fanfic, it is mine, there are no exact doubles of me trying to replace me and take over my life without anyone noticing, that's a dumb thought...stop thinking that. I might not be doing a holiday themed one-shot after all. mostly because I cant think of any sou eater holiday scenario that hasn't been done to death, and also I'm still trying to figure out exactly WHAT Christmas is...I hear it's kinda of like a wrestling tournament but also like brain surgery , I don't know, holidays are weird and inadvisable. hay if you want to help me figure out what Christmas is, or talk about soul eater or help me pray to the elder gods for the ultimate success of this fan fiction then write a review or PM me, I'd love that. also I'd be thankfull if you Favorited the story or fallowed it so you can keep up with when new chapters are posted and consequently why the walls of your home start bleeding every weekend, oh yeah i forgot to mention, if you read more that one chapter of this story you are likely VERY cursed now...sorry bout that.

And hay, thanks.

(In Medusa's lair)

There was the suggestion of movement in her solid white milk glass eyes, a faint glint against the glaze as they rolled in their sockets fallowing her mother as she moved around the room. It was very early in the morning, the pail predawn light shined through the craggy and jagged crevice in the vast looming chamber. In the middle of the chamber where Crona sat was a large solid stone table, a table with no legs but simply jutted out from the ground in a prefect rectangle. Swirling patterns and complex murals of birds of pray, arachnids and serpents carved deep into the rock. The long table was set for one with pewter silverware and a plate of absurdly portioned food, placed in front of her. Her mother appeared from the other end carrying in yet another large plate of food, she sat it next to the plate that was still in front of her, which she still had not taken a bight from. Medusa looked at the untouched food. "is there something wrong?" Crona stared at the plates. "I'm trying to remember the last time I ate anything. I can't." Medusa raised an eyebrow. She sat close to Crona. "is that so?" Crona sat her gloved hand on the table and considered taking them off. "perhaps I should have started you off easy. You have look of someone whose been on a liquid diet for a while. Eat what you can." Medusa said with a nod to the plates. "thank you, mother." Medusa smiled at Crona and leaned back in her seat. Crona took a few bights of the roasted lamb on her plate but her stomach turned instantly, she felt nauseous, struggling to keep the morsels down her gullet. She looked up at the crevasse in the looming vault of the cave, the light only made the sudden nausea worse. "I'm sorry, I cant." she muttered. Medusa slowly nodded. "that's alright.." there was a long silence between them, their eyes met, Crona weary and sickened expression against Medusa determined stair with a hint of sadness that came from a mother watching their child suffer. "the people who did this to you are going to die." she said simply, looking to the corner of the room at nothing in particular "their not going to hurt you anymore. Your safe here." crona was silently looking up at the dusty blue sky through the crack, it was the first sun rise she had seen in many years. "your different now, why are you being so nice to me?" Crona asked, her voice softer than it had been in quite some time. "there's something you want from me, right?" she asked. Medusa's shoulders drooped. "I missed my child. Is that so hard to believe? Don't misread my affections for having gone soft. I'm the same as i'v always been." she looked back at Crona. "if there's something that I regret, its that I wish that I would have been a better mother." Crona nodded quietly, accepting what Medusa had to say. "I'm going to sleep now, if that's okay." Crona said. "there are things, so many things I need to do. But I'm tired." "i can take you to your old room." Medusa said already halfway standing. "no, that's okay. I want to see the sky." Medusa nodded. "if that's what you want, Crona."

(somewhere else)

there was a man, he sat not alone in a study, a study room perhaps not unlike your own if you have one. Dose your study have multiple trophy heads of exotic animals adorning the walls? A fire in a grand fireplace with an oak mantel that casts an amber glow around the room? A mahogany desk, carved with intricate swirls and etchings of historic scenes of death and mayhem? Dose your office contain large bookshelves of tomes and banned literature? Then perhaps this study is very much like your own, perhaps you are this man that I am narrating about, if you are then you shouldn't be reading this story, you will not at all like some of the things that you are going to read. Imagine this man, imagine him. His balled head, speckled like the egg of a hen with brown liver spots, his face is wrinkled and aged but delicate like the skin of man on the later end of life, He was an old man and had no intentions of hiding this age, he was not feeble in a physical since but his hands had not seen the toils of labor in quite some time. He used a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his bald head, he was sitting much to close to the fire but did nothing about this. He stared with cold and calculating eyes at a letter on his desk addressed to him, one Ester Finch, he had read it over many times. His aid, intern Steve, stood in the corner biding his time, he hand delivered the letter which had come in that morning, a letter that was addressed from the Timber Creek Industries, he did not read the letter himself but he was curios, they had all heard the news, it was hard to hide the fact that ten of Finch's men had been been killed, this was not a rare occurrence at all, people who worked for Finch had suffered worse fates indeed, At least it appeared that the operators he had sent to collect Crona, met their end quickly enough but not painless in the least. Steve the intern had worked for Finch for only a few months but he knew that the mortality of his workers would not be enough to keep him from his prize. He was with Ester the day that her bought Crona from the so called asylum, he saw the way his eyes lit up to see Crona, in a delirious and chemically enraged state slaughter a collection of Timber Creeks worst inmates. He sat and talked with Crona's handler about the terrible things that they had rented her out for, all the ways that she could be used. Steve had no comment, he wanted to be done with it all, the internship was not what he expected, the fact that he was not allowed to leave Finches manor worried him most. He remembered some of the other interns that were working around the mansion from where he went to school, some of them he hadn't seen for a couple of days and he was worried if they had gotten in trouble and were sent home for the summer, he certainly didn't want to be in that massive house with no one to talk two but there were three others left at least, he had a seeking suspension that maybe they were having second thoughts as well. He wasn't going to be scared away so easily, his graduation hinged on the collage credit that he would receive, it wasn't something he was going to die for. Crona gave him the creeps, just looking at her behind those iron bars, even before she began killing, something about her ethereal but highly unsettling visage was not human and yet finch could hardly contain his desire to posses her, he found that more unsettling that anything else. Finch finally looked up at Steve, sizing him up in a way that made Steve rather uncomfortable. "Steve..how are you with a gun, son?" Steve looked into the old mans eyes but nothing came out of his mouth.

(meanwhile, in death city)

The once sheltered white headed vagabond shuffled down the streets of Death city with his hands in his pockets, gripping a meal voucher he had tucked in his wallet earlier, it was lucky for him that Death City functioned on a sort of Frankenstein socialism or else he would have gone hungry, but even the deep pockets of the great and charitable lord death (long may he reign) have their dusty bottom. The shiftless fellow moped about the night before thinking of where exactly it was that he went wrong, and he genuinely couldn't think of a reason, why did something like this have to happen to such a good guy? He sat down at the DWMA mess hall where he used to have his meals with his comrades, he hadn't been there in quite some time, he remarked how every student or three star meister passed him by, he remember a day when st least one person would find their company with him. Not a single person in the cafeteria recognized him, nor he any of them, not a single face. He started eating his meager meal, the food was the same at least. He couldn't believe Maka was making him live life like this, kicking his out of his home, he was a death scythe and a meister is supposed to treat their weapon with dignity, she had no riht as his mister to throw him out. Something clicked in his head, their apartment was not his only home and he did not have to give Maka the satisfaction of seeing him low, he decided that he would build him self back up, up over Maka on her high horse in fact. He was a death scythe after all.

(if you haven't picked up on it I'm not a big fan of soul...)


	8. Chapter 8

(a dream or a memory?)

the men scrambled down the hall pursued by a ball of fire that consumed the interior like a tidal wave, some tripped over themselves and in the split second they were reduced to the star dust that they had always been made of. The surviving men flung themselves through the heavy metal doors, their backs seared by the flames, they roiled on the ground as their nylon tac vests melted to their flesh, a pile of screaming and crying desperate souls. Machine gun fire sprayed the building, portable mount DshK's and their large caliber 12.7x108 bullets punched coconut sized holes through cinder blocks, the shells clinking like a kitchen in an earthquake.

"twelfth artillery, this is captain Borya of the third rifle company second platoon, respond, urgent." the man looked over the concrete barrier. "twelfth artillery, respond, we have tracked the target." "go ahead captain." came the crackling reply from the radio. The captain gave a final glance over his shoulder at the building, a lone figure passed by in the window brushing through the flames. "we need close artillery support, fire on building nineteen on the eastern wall." there was no response "now! We need it now! it's fucking coming for us!" he turned to his men who manned the heavy machine guns, they had stopped to change the glowing red hot barrels of the MG. "hurry! Put the lead out!" he said pointing to the devastated building. "affirmative captain, stand by." the artillery officer finally replied. The captain let out a sigh of relief, only seconds later high explosive shells rained from the sky onto the building and into the parking lot, the unseen enemy had to be torn apart by the bombardment, a machine gunner still spraying the building took a hot shard of shrapnel to his gut, slicing through his load baring belt and his coat. He stumbled back, his technician reaching for him in aid. The captain jumped the concrete barrier and tended to the wounded man, "find him a medic." he said pointing away from the current action. He looked at the completely demolished side of the building, there was no movement among the rubble. A T90 battle tank creaked into the parking lot, pointing its main gun at the building. The forward observer rose from the top hatch, his face drenched in sweat, his work fatigues smeared in what could only be assumed was blood. "we've chased it around this whole god damn place are you sure It's in there?" "in there and dead." "dead? What makes you so sure?" they both looked on at the flames that engulfed the once proud logistic building, a few stones tumbled out from the burning wreckage, a shiver of dread crept down their spines as a black mass rose from the inferno.

An agonized moan pierced the air. The captain didn't have to say a word, the tank operator ducked back down into his compartment and a second later the smooth bore 125mm main gun was pointed at the target. The figure stepped from twisted wreckage, its long charred robes still aflame. Its twitching steps burning through the thick ash stained snow. "fire!" the captain shouted. The shock wave of the deafening boom blew the peeked cap from his head, landing in the snow, he covered his ears and grimaced, the sound was murder on his already ringing ear drums. He looked up at the figure, still standing, a giant steaming whole right through its chest, it wasn't medically possible, all of the vital organs in the chest were gone now, the body alone should have collapsed in on itself, the spine was ether severed or missing. This monster tilted its head back and moaned again though it had no lungs, the cavity in the chest began to fill itself with thick black bile. The commander of the tank, in a panic pushed himself out from the port hole. "were out of shells!" he hollered in dismay. The captain was at a loss for words. "get out of my way! This is hopeless!' another from the tank crew tried to push past the forward observer. They calamitously struggled against one another, meanwhile the figure started again towards them. The captain, brave to the very end, pulled his side arm. Raised it...and shot himself in the head. The shot somehow seemed louder than the tanks own cannon. The two tank crew members watched with disbelief as his lifeless body collapsed into the snow. They cast their panicd stricken gaze at the figure, now standing in front of the tank, its' trembling hands raised, not in a sign of submission, but just raised in front of it like some sort of classic picturesque zombie. They stared at one another, two men at the realization of their doom, and one crisp black monstrosity sizzling like an over cooked stake. A noise like tearing fabric tore the air as the black creature unleashed hell from its hands, flying lead ripping from the inside of its palms. The men were cut to ribbons by the bullets of their own comrades. The large caliber rounds that had once pierced its body were now spit back throgh the thick armor of the tank in horrible vengeance. The fule of the tank was ignited from the hail of bullets, exploding in a massive fireball

"this is it! Merciful god make it quick!" men at the artillery battery watched from afar. "the air force!" one of the men pointed to the sky as a jet screamed over head. "we have air support!" "you idiot, you think that's going to change anything?" "that was a lead aircraft." a soldier said lowering his artillery binoculars from his face. "a lead for what?" the men turned to the northern sky as the sound of a million hornets filled the air, Tu-95 strategic bombers roared over the horizon in mass. " their just going to carpet bomb us?! We cant, w-we cant just give up, and they cant just kill us all!" "look around! Were all that's left, either she's going to kill us or they are!" he sat heavily against the cannon. "it's over. Were over. Done for." they were all silent as the bombers came closer. One of the men marched over to the sand bag barricade and leaned over it, shaking his fist. "you son of a bitch! You murderer! You burn in in hell you monster!" he shouted to the black figure in the distance. The only reply was the first bomb being dropped, fallowed by another and another. His legs collapsed under him as he resigned himself to the cold ground to spend his last fear filled conscience seconds, thinking of his mother, his broter, his sister and father, his home and his town, and that girl, that horrible girl with her piercing white eyes, and her soft pink hair.

(back to reality...)

Crona's eyes fluttered with an ease that she had not felt in quite a long time, the cool twilight air felt like an estranged friend, she had once in a life before all of this enjoyed this time most of all, she could see outside, the sky smeared with pink, like icing on a powder blue wall, the laughing sun above preparing for its slumber, shining through with wispy clouds casting a haunting gold glow that reminded her of something from a long time ago. She stood, steadying herself on the table at first felling the smooth stone under her hands, she realized that one of her gloves was not on its hand, but sitting on the table, she did not remember removing it herself. she winced and looked away when she realized that she was missing two fingernails, it didn't appear to be a recent development, it looked like it had been that way for quite a wile, she held her half clutched hand to her chest with a flat expression of disgust and terror on her face. she looked around the cavern but her mother was not around. She walked to a corridor in the cavern wall where torches and coal pits lit the path, it was the same as when she was young. As she walked down the hall she slid her hand against the smooth carved walls of the great stone corridor. The stone tiles of the floor were dilapidated and cracked, some displaced giving space for rotting subterranean weeds and mushrooms to over grow and in some places cobwebs had become thick, but that was normal for this place. She came to a section of the hall where the torches were not lit, she turned and walked back to where one still hung flickering on the wall, She grabbed it and continued on. She could see light a bit further down, there was a door now to her right, it was black, smooth, with gold paint on the trim, the door to her old room, she put her hand on the door nob but did not turn it for more than a minute. It rattled like it always had, the door hinge squeaked, a sound so familiar to her that it made the hair on the back of her neck raise ever so slightly. It was so nearly empty, just as it always had been, but not completely, her bed was still there though it was much too small for her now, a toy chest and a desk. There was something out of place, she looked down to the floor in the middle of the room, several of her old childhood drawing lay on the floor, in a circle around a single point where pillow and a blanket sat tangled on the floor, a few candles scattered around the collection of drawings. She knelt down to them looking over her old crayon scribals of her and her mother and Ragnarok, there were drawings of Eruka as well and the Grand Witch with an over exaggerated angry face and big nose. "I couldn't throw them away." came Medusa's voice from behind her in the darkness, Crona did not flinch. "this was all that was left when you went over to the reapers side." Crona didn't turn around, she didn't know why she felt guilt hanging over her like cobwebs, maybe because there were actual non metaphorical cobwebs hanging over head but that made the guilt none the less real. "I looked for you, when I heard that you were sold to that horrible place, but I couldn't find you anywhere. where they had taken you, your soul wavelength was masked. Until ,that is, last night.." "sold." Crona said lowly. "yes?" "you said I was sold." "yes, why else would you have been taken? Lord death never wanted you, he saw better to make a prophet off of you." "that's not true." Crona shook her head. She felt her mother embrace her from the side. "your not a pure meister, your the spawn of a witch and your blood is black. Death city was never your home, Lord Shinigami would have never allowed that." Crona trembled slightly, her brow twisting with disbelief and sorrow. "death city is a place for people like me.." Medusa laid her head on Crona's shoulder "that's a lie sweety...it was a lie they told you long enough to find the highest bidder...the DWMA kept you locked in a room as well, don't you remember?." Medusa took Crona's hand and held it up in front of them. "and then they do this to you..." there was a long silence. "I was so happy in death city." Medusa "and they betrayed you." Crona turned her head away "my friends, they fought for me. They didn't want me to go. Especially Maka, she tried so hard to keep me there." Medusa lifted her head with interest. "yes, I know all about her.." Crona looked back at her mother "you do?" "yes, I watched you two often." Crona looked down at the floor "you liked that one quite a bit didn't you?" Crona nodded "more than your comfortable talking about, am I right?" there was another long silence. "no.." Crona shook her head. "no, I-Id like to talk about her, actually.."

Medusa tipped a half empty bottle of wine, pouring the crimson spirit into a crystal clear glass. The parlor room elegantly carved out of the gray stone hollow needed only a moments cleaning by her snakes, they had roiled about scrubbing the dust from the wall with their scaled belly's, eating the spiders that did not seek refuge in the safety of their nets. Medusa sat the bottle of wine on the floor next to the couch, sinking deep into the seat. Crona clutched a normal glass of water in her hand, staring down through the bottom at the cracks in the floor. "when I came there I really thought that I was going to be healed. That they would take away the madness in my head and that I could go back to death city and be happy. I believed it for so long. I was never allowed to be around the other patents there..though now I guise I know they weren't patents. The nurses were nice to me for a while, but something changed. I wrote letters to Maka all the time and she would write back, I did it all for her. And the years went on, I watched the leaves change throng the barred window in my cell, they let me outside less and less. Then I started loosing time I would wake up missing hours, days and sometimes weeks. I would wake up and I would feel a deep aching in my bones, I would have fresh wounds, I could still feel bullets under my skin dissolving. The nurses hated or feared me. When I needed a bath they would order me to strip down and they would spray me with a hose pipe, the would get everything wet, my cloths and sheet on my bed and my papers on my desk that were so precious to my sanity, they destroyed the letters Maka would send me and would take my letters I wanted to send and throw them in the trash." Crona trembled, her eyes narrow with painful recollection. Medusa, cold as she was at times, could not help her heart with that of her child's. "i decided I wasn't going to eat anymore, but they forced me to. I one tried to his under my bed so that they couldn't spray me with the hose. They took my bed and my desk away after that. I killed a guard a week later, he came into my cell after the light had turned out and he tried to undress me...i screamed and told him to stop. He started beating me with a club." she looked at her mother, their facial expression almost matched, but Medusa was much angrier. "after I killed him I left my cell, I ran all the way out of the cell block and even through the reception office. But they stopped me just short of the gate, there were so many of them, and I was scared..." Medusa nodded but only once. "I was a fool, I forgot that I would have been better to die than stay there any more.." "i understand, Crona. You'll have your revenge, I promise." Crona pulled her arms tightly to herself. "i don't want revenge. I want- I want Maka, okay?" Medusa was silent, she took a sip of her wine. "kids today.." she said in a release of her breath. "pleas." Crona said looking up at her mother with beseeching eyes. "dont look at me like that." Medusa said, trying unsuccessfully to sound emotionally removed. "your not a kid any more, I cant tell you what to do. You make your decisions. But if it's all the same to you, I'm still going to find the people responsible for all of this and I'm going to murder them. Lord death will get his too, just keep that in mind. Your not going to find anything in death city but more trouble, and don't think that people arent looking for you." Crona shifted as if she were about to stand, but her mother motioned her with her hand to remain seated. "i want you to stay for a while. Until your back to full strength." Crona would have never disagreed with her mothers word when she was a child but she saw urgency in finding Maka. "mom, I have to." "well you shouldn't. I wont hear anything else about it, you must stay here.." they were both silent for a moment "so that I know for sure that your okay."


	9. Chapter 9

(Death City)

Gods were generally difficult to contact. Usually, it helps if you actually believe in the god your trying to communicate with but its not entirely necessary. Sometimes they ask for things, a pack of cigarets, some chewing gum or maybe a gift card to star bucks or something. Unlikely as any of that is, And assuming their in the mood to talk they may, perhaps rolling their eyes or single eye, peer at you from whatever realm they call home and say something like "yeah whada' yu want?" Lord Death, Lord shinigami, the master of death and Sheppard of souls, was not such a god. If he wasn't in some sort of important meeting his realm was open to anyone at that DWMA at any time, he never sleeps and so it's easy to bring any concerns to his attention, his number is in the phone book and its easy to find by turning any phone book of any nationality upside down and reading the entire thing backwards, you may want to write it down or memorize it after its revealed to you. Even considering the nature of his godliness, he was by most accounts a nice guy, he often reminded people of a grand father or an uncle, most likely because everyone has at least one grand parent or uncle that is a dark foreboding spirit of death with spiraling pits of jet black oblivion where their eyes should be...

however, Maka had been trying to get ahold of lord death for a couple of days now...she started off by calling and leaving a message then she left him an email. She wanted to talk about Crona, and what it was going to take to at least get some closure on the subject. She tried waving signal flags from the roof of her apartment, and everyone knew that lord death was a Mores code enthusiast. After all that failed she had become rather frustrated. And so she decided after work that she would go to his office and approach him personally. She came the first day, to find her father in the reception office where he now worked after being promoted from maintenance.

"hay dad." she approached him casually, but not in the warm way a daughter would approach her father, like in other similar relationships without strife in their past. "hay sweety." he said, in hopes to make her feel more comfortable with speaking to him. "can I talk to lord death? Its important." her father looked away quickly. "oh." he said "shit." he did not say, not out loud anyway. He had nearly forgotten what lord death had told him. "sorry Maka, today isn't looking so good.." Maka's shoulders sagged with something like disappointment. It made spirit feel that much worse. "sorry, ill see if maybe he can talk tomorrow. Maka nodded, "I understand." "i heard about you and your boyfriend." he said, abruptly changing the subject. Maka groaned, did everyone know about this? How did that kind of news even get to him? she groaned both at the fact that he brought it up and that he would likely not be the last to do so. "yeah..look, its all over with, I'm not hurt or anything, I really hope that people stop bringing it up." it was fine with him, Spirit never really cared for soul anyway, actually, it was the fact that he dated his daughter that spirit didn't care for, it could have been anyone and he would naturally dislike them, but only because in his eyes there was no one good enough for his daughter. "I'm sure there will be someone else." he said, the fact that he said this was not as nearly as upsetting as the fact that she knew that there likely would be, but still not that one person she wanted. She waved her hand, turning her head to convey her desire for the topic to be dropped. "anyway." she said with choked frustration. We can talk about that later. Ill come back tomorrow and talk to lord death, im sure he knows, but just let him know this is important to me. Spirit nodded "i will sweety, papa has your back I promise..."

(the next day)

the next day Maka returned, she had spent the whole day distracted from her work, thinking of what she was going to tell lord death. She was quite sure that she could convince him now, despite how politely stubborn he could be. "hay, im back to talk to lord death, so can I head on in?" she asked her father already half way to the gateway to lord deaths realm. "oh, hold up." spirit stopped her, turning in his chair. "uh yeah...he's not taking visitors today either." "what?" Maka squinted looking rather cross. Spirit put his hands up and shrugged. "hay that's what he said..." "that's ridiculous, iv been trying to get a hold of him for half a week. He's never that busy." spirit gave her a stern look, he tilted his head to the side. "Maka, is that anyway to get what you want?" there was an intense silence. Maka's face began to turn deep crimson. The side of her face twitched, spirit stayed his ground, but became unnerved by her demeanor. He had seen that look before, it was the same look his Ex-wife had given him many times. A slow, raspy laughter broke the silence, and Maka backed away to the door, swinging her pointer finger at him all the wile, keeping eye-contact with him, her face stretched in a wide but malicious smile that chilled spirits blood. "oooh...you..." she said lowly and laughed some more. "you..." pointing, backing away, slowly, menacingly. She kept eye contact with him even as she closed the door, its hinges squeaking for what seemed like ages. Even still after the door was shut, he could see her outline through the frosted glass window, still staring. "oh..oh..you.." he heard her voice.

(the day after that)

lord death sat at his low table, tea in one hand and his daily news paper in the other, reading the obituaries. The day had mostly been quite, his son came to see him during mid-day about some goings on in the world. Devastating bloodshed and all consuming War in the middle east ,a new super virus cropping up in china and it looked like the sun might explode that next week, which could delay Death City's home baseball game at least by a couple of house while someone put the suns pieces back together again. Yes, uneventful days these had been. There was only one thing that was pressing, something that he had been avoiding, he had hoped that the time wouldn't come but it did, as sure as the tides, an unpleasant matter had returned. His son had brought his attention the event that took place at timber creek asylum, they both knew what this meant, no name had yet been given to that one escapee, but the both knew who it was, they knew that Crona was at large and sooner or later would have to be dealt with. And just when they thought it was as simple as that, Maka Emailed, and called, and signaled and had tried to come and see him, so that they could talk about Crona. He had the sneaking suspicion that she somehow knew about Crona's escape, but she couldn't have. Even if the media had obtained any information on Crona, it would have been censored by his agents, who were impeded in a vague yet menacing government agency who were yet further imbedded into all of the major news sources in the west and most of Europe. But he knew Maka was crafty, and he knew as long as there was at least one other person aware of Crona's escape, that the information could reach her. He knew that he couldn't ignore her forever, Maka was very persistent. "no I told you Maka, you cant come in here!" Lord Death looked up, and down the gallows hall. "uh-wha! No! NO! Maka, put that down! put-" there was a horrible thump, like a baseball bat hitting the top of a metal garbage can. A black dot spiraled toward lord death, growing into the shape of a man as it came fast toward him like a rocket. Spirit landed on his back and slid a few feet until his was stopped, hitting a leg of the table with a pop. "hay so- uh...Maka's here...so yeah.." he said casually. they both looked toward the gallows hall to see Maka standing there, a scowl of determination on her face ,her shoulders square. "hello Maka." lord death greeted her, albeit not in his usual beaming tone, a more relaxed, yet as if he were waiting for something. "why have you ignored me? Why?" she seemed hurt but angry as well. Lord death did not seem upset at all. He bobbed his head from sided to side in thought, then took a sip of tea. "hello Maka." he greeted her yet again in the same iteration and tone as befort, although she had already begun speaking with him and so the greeting was out of context, not that he seemed to care. Maka tighten her eyes, lord death did not. He stared through her for a moment, and then he set his cup of tea down along with his news paper. Maka did not speak and she did not come any closer, she feared him, But her determination was stronger than her fear. "i know that you have been wanting to talk lately." he said. Maka did not say anything. "I know that you want to speak to me about Crona." Maka nodded. Lord death folded his hands on the table. "then lets speak." Maka came closer but did not sit, lord death was still taller than her even wile sitting down, but it wasn't very difficult to be taller than her. "it's been ten years, pleas, I need to know where she is." "i dont know where she is." lord death shrugged, and that was the truth after all, he didn't. But Maka did not seem satisfyde with the answer, she didn't have to say anything for him to know that she was not, both by her face and that it wasn't her way to give up so easily. "well then you had to know where you sent her right?" Maka asked, her voice mostly neutral. Lord death nodded. Maka tilted her head back, waiting for his answer but he stared on in silence. "that's what I want to know." "let me ask you a question now." Maka didn't like this, she wasn't the one there to answer questions. "why do you need to know any of this? You a librarian. Are you not?" "I'm a meister first and librarian second and crona is a meister too, and someone very important to me. It's been long enough, I want to know where she is. If she's locked up I want to see her. If shes dead I want to see where shes buried. I have to know." lord death made eye contact with spirit over her shoulder and then he looked back at Maka. "i don't know where she is. And that's the truth Maka." Maka let out a breath. The old man was up to his tricks, talking in circles, trying to ware her down or confuse her. "where did you send her away to?" "an asylum, where she would be taken care of. You do know she was mentally ill right?" "no, no no. don't you say anything like that." lord death stared at her silently. "you know that's no reason to send someone away in death city, there are a million people here in death city and how many of them are mentally ill?" "Crona was a special case, she needed more help than we could provide for her." "i don't believe you." Maka said, but with a little more calm in her voice. "she was so sweet, she was so lost here, everything was so brand new to her. I couldn't wait to show her how to live a life with so much freedom, freedom she never had. And then she was gone." lord death, looked down at the table. "some times there are no happy endings. Some people die sad, or alone." Maka's face twitched, she couldn't tell if it was his intentions or not, but lord deaths words hurt her very soul. "where did she go?" she asked one last time "i want a name. Pleas." she said lowly. "i will give you the name of the place she was sent, and I will tell you what I know. But if you leave the city with intentions of finding Crona, then you will be removed from your position at the DWMA and you will not be welcome back." Maka tightened her jaw, her eyes squinting. "do you accept?" Maka was silent, considering what he said. "you might as well." he added. "because your job will be terminated if you seek her out, weather I tell you or not..." he said "and that is final." "yeah, then you may as well tell me." Maka said, taking a step forward.

"we sent her to a place called Timber Creek." Maka's eyes widened, hearing the name that had been mentioned on the news the other night and over the last couple of days. He knew that look on her face. "yes, then no doubt that name strikes you. You've heard haven't you? About the escaped lunatic? Yes, that was Crona, she was sent there of course for her mental health, but also to be studied. The representatives that came to us from Timber Creek were convinced that they could gather helpful data in the research of not only her mental condition, but also the black blood, that learning about her could help so many others." lord death looked up at Maka. "they payed the DWMA to release her into their custody." "you SOLD her?" Maka growled "for the greater good, she was given so that others would benefit." Maka pointed, not at lord death but in his general direction "you, your a monster." she said. Lord death was silent, and spirit was aswell, the only sound was Maka's breathing. "I cant believe you." "Maka, think about this." Maka shook her head and dismissed her fathers words with a wave of her hand "no, no. this is all wrong." lord death still looked down at her without a word. "that is not the kind of person that you are. The lord death, the one that the people in this city fallow, wouldn't sell a human being. She was just a kid, you own a school! Your supposed to help children!" she pointed, scolding the lord of death like a delinquent. Lord death was still as soundless as the void of space. "i dont care if I cant come back, I'm going to look for her." "Maka don't." her father stepped forward. "let her." lord death finally spoke, but when he did, his voice had changed, it was stern and grave. Maka turned and started toward the gallows hall. "be careful meister." said the death god.


	10. Chapter 10

life is pain, life is misery, life is 20% off on waffle cones at Baskin Robbins, but mostly pain an misery.

(note from the author) this story is now in the double digits of chapters! this is so far the second longest story I'v done, the other one being close to fifty chapters and i have no doubt that this one will span just as long. i have allot of ideas i want to try out on this one and i don't see any major hold up's. I might take a break every once in a while for a week to get caught up or to rest on writing. other than that i should continue to have a chapter almost every week. hay if you like this story and you enjoy reading it then pleas hit that like button or fallow the story, i really appreciate all of you who stop by every week to read this weird little story and it keeps me going. this has been Daniel Mathis, soul eater guy..

thanks allot y'all

After fallowing Maka back to the living realm of the DWMA, spirit watched her storm out from the office. He sighed heavily, he sighed not only because of what happened only moments ago, but in the reminder of how much like her mother Maka had become, she had her disputes with lord death as well. he didn't know if he should try and stop her, or talk to lord death, both seemed like they would end fruitlessly. It seemed that he was powerless in the situation, he knew Maka represented an unstoppable force and lord death was an unmovable object. He tried his best to return to work, he moved some papers around and went over a few documents, signing one and moving to the next. When spirit looked up there was a stranger standing in the lobby. Spirit was frightened but made no sound, the stranger joined him in this silence, but he was not frightened at all. The stranger wore a long black leather coat, a black wool sweater and dark gray dress pants, and peeked cap. His face was long and gray, and a jaw like chiseled stone. He smiled sinisterly, showing teeth like an abandoned symmetry and the leering eyes of a wolf. He unnerved spirit to his core. "can I help you?" the man did not speak. "can I help you." spirit repeated, more clearly. "yes, I hope so." he smiled, still as the face of a mountain, his eyes became a little less wide, his thin lips showing the very cusp of his teeth. "don't tell me your hear to see lord death, we sort of just had a situation.." "oh really." the man said in a way as if he were disinterested. Spirit picked up on this, he didn't appreciate it. "yeah, so what do you want?" "you answered you own question. I'm hear to see lord death." Spirit, sunk back into his chair. But not as if he planned to stay seated. "i don't remember any scary para militants making appointments with lord death. You want me to pencil you in or-" "no that's not necessary, I'm quite certain that lord death can see me now." spirit leaned on his desk, giving him a sideways look. "look pal, third Reich just called and they wanted me to tell you to make an appointment, or carry your ass back to the forty's." in one swift motion the man pulled a pistol out of his pocket, aiming for spirit, he pulled the trigger. The stranger was still smiling the muzzel flash reflecting in his eyes.

Lord death heard the shot and then another. He stood, A moment later there were foot steps. Lord death saw the stranger as he came closer. The very sight of the man made lord death angrier than he had been but that anger did not compare to that which he felt, realizing he was the only one who could have been responsible for the gun shot. "explain yourself." lord death demanded. "Heinrich, charmed to meet you." the stranger introduced himself. "what have you done? Give me a reason I shouldn't tare your skin from you bones." he said with that deep, gravelly voice. "my agency is not of your concern. I am hear for the one named Crona." lord death loomed over Heinrich, the stranger seemed unimpressed. "she is not here..."

(meanwhile)

the active shooter protocol in the DWMA works like this: first of all, despite the fact that most of the students have super human abilities, in these kinds of situations they are encouraged to fortify and defend, not to be a hero's, defensive mechanisms have been integrated into the structure of the school both interior and exterior for this purpose and students are well drilled on their use. the act of taking care of business falls to the staff and three star meisters who act as SRO's. In the case of the EAT class the teachers will coordinate their students and will lead the class in combat if the need arises. For younger students and noncombatants, they will be first priority of the acting SRO units, with the noncombatants secured, the rest will systemically clear school grounds of hostiles in an adaptive procedure.

being after school hours, most of the students had already left but many still remained. Maka had only just Returned to the library the alarm sounded. The amply audible Klaxon horn sounding and reverberating up and down the halls. Maka instructed two students to barricade the door behind her, turn out the lights from the detach breaker box and hide in her office deep in the library. She heard the sounds of their hasty work behind the heavy wooden doors. Sid passed by running down the hall at a pace even she would have found hard to keep up with. "Sid!" he stopped and turned to her, motioning her to fallow, he didn't have the time to stop for long. She fallowed matching his strides. "whats going on?" "someones shooting the place up." "here? Of all places?" Sid nodded, though it was hard to tell wile they were running. "where did it start? Do we know the target aria?" "the head office." Sid said knowing full well the reaction he would receive. Maka's eyes grew and she slowed down, Sid left her in he hall and kept running. Moments later he heard foot steps behind him, fast, Maka ran past him at twice his speed. Before he could register she was only a dot, a misplaced pixel at the end of the hallway.

Lord death swung his massive hand, trailing a jet stream of holly light through the air. The hand shredded the frame of the stranger, spraying black gore all around. Leaving only his legs standing. The disembodied legs twitched, moving and jerking with life. A long black spinal structure spiraled forth from the gory mess, it crew grotesque features, long skeletal arms caked in black viscera and rot. A canine like skull atop the twisted spine with glowing red eyes and jet black horns of an antelope, pulsing organs that strung about like streamers in its ribcage. It was a sight like no other. The beast swung it long spindly claws at lord death whom blocked the assault not without effort. "though I may die here, know this death god, we will find Crona, the moon will bleed black and the tides will turn to coal dust, the prime evil comith and all gods will bend their knee to her." he said in a guttural rumble "you speak madness, you abomination, time to die." Lord death jabbed his hand between the ribs of the beast and began to pry. "my life for the sanguinette!" The beast clawed at lord deaths mask, knocking it askew. Lord death only tightened his grip, the bones starting to break.

Outside Maka kicked open the door of the reception office, she saw scattered papers and her fathers chair. There was blood pooled on the tile floor. She gasped and turned the corner of the desk. Her father was in the floor, gripping his gut. He was gritting his teeth but his face slacked, seeing her. "Maka.." he said. She froze. "Maka, run." he said. Maka stared at him, her face wide with horror. "run!" he shouted over the siren. Maka's eyes snapped open fully, without a thought, she ran toward lord deaths office realm. "not- not that way!" spirit shouted, but Maka could never have heard him.

Maka ran into the death realm, down the gallows hall and into lord deaths office to see lord death in power struggle with the beast. "Maka!" lord death shouted. "get out of here now!" the beast swiped lord death with its claws, tearing his cloak and breaking the hold the had on the beast. Maka was swiped by a skeletal tail that knocked her with buckling force into one of the bright red posts of the gallows hall. Using its large, spindled hands and arms for as legs, it quickly retreated from the room, trampling Maka upon its exit. Maka rolled onto her knees with a groan, she stood gripping her sides. The beast loped through the gallows hall and out into the reception aria of the DWMA, Maka in hot pursuit. The DWMA shook utter catastrophe, as the beast sprang through the sealing and floor after floor, hurtling itself like a canon ball, landing on the roof, where it sprouted large skeletal wings bound in black cancerous flesh, it took to the sky as Maka watched through the massive hole of devastation that cratered into the side of the DWMA. She watched as the beast flew into the sky further and further away. Maka turned back to the office where Nygus had arrived. She was tending to spirit. Maka came to her fathers side. "dad." she uttered. He looked at her through narrow eye. "Maka, I don't know if I'm going to make it okay..." "oh, daddy.." Maka moved in closer, grasping for her father. "he's going to be okay." Nygus said. "i already told him that..actually.." she said, and then made a fake cough. Maka was none the less distraught. "Maka, find Crona. I know how match she meant to you, I know.." Maka leaned her head against his shoulder "dad, that doesn't matter right now." "if I don't make it, maybe she can see you through the rest of your life." "right, except you are going to make it...like I just said that.." Nygus said lifting her hand from the wound. "the guy didn't even hit anything important." "go Maka, you need to talk to lord death." Nygus rolled her eyes, then looked at Maka. "ill have him patched up and sent to the hospital, okay?"Maka nodded "be careful Maka" outside in the hall, black suited agents of the DWMA ran by in full sprint. Maka ran down the gallows hall and back to lord deaths office. He fixed his mask back into place, plumes of black smoke spiraled from the gashes in his robe, the tendrils slowly growing diaphanous as they reached into the forever blue sky of the death realm. "what the hell was that?" Maka asked, angry but afraid. "more black blood filth." lord death said, smoothing out the wrinkles in his robe. "It appears today is your lucky day Maka." "oh yeah, hos that?" she felt the back of her head, feeling that she was bleeding. "we need to find Crona before that thing dose." he said lowering himself closer to her level. "that- whatever that was, it was looking for her?" "yes, it appears that whatever agency that monstrosity is working with, they have some unsavory plans for her." he tilted his head toward her. "since you wanted to find her so bad, this will be you responsibility. You are to either kill or capture her." Maka sneered. "I'm not going to kill her." "then you will bring her into the custody of the DWMA, We cant allow them to use her. those are you options." Maka said everything with her face that she could have told him with words. "you will do whats right, we trained you for that. Now go. You will be provided the resources you need. The world cannot afford you to disappoint." Maka stood under his gaze, she nodded and turned to the gallows hall and left him.


	11. Chapter 11

(note) Author has obtained Fallout 4...expect delays. That is all.

This is not Daniel Mathis..And thanks...we guise.

(In Medusa's lair)

"you have the map that I gave you?" Medusa asked, watching Crona walk from one end of the parlor to the other, inspecting a pile her new/old belongings. Crona nodded. "yes, mother." "its too far for you to walk, you need me to take you there." Crona shook her head "ill be okay." she picked up her old shoulder bag, the shoulder strap being much to small for her, she adjusted it. "you were never this independent.. Or, do you just not want to be around me?" Medusa asked from her lean to spot on the wall. Crona turned to her mother. "no. I want to make the journey myself." Crona assured her. "alright then." Medusa said and became silent. Crona Picked up a sword that had been propped in the corner, a thin angular, black stainless steel monoblade with a razor sharp edge. "don't cut yourself." Medusa said somewhat absent of the irony. "where did this come from?" Crona asked. "it was mine." Medusa said. "before that it belonged to your-" she stopped. Crona paused as well, the moment passed, but the words still haunting the air like a foul smell. "n-never mind, forget I asked." "yes I believe that would be best." Medusa nodded in agreement. Crona slid the blade into its leather sheath and tucked it into the black Sennibbari sash around her waist. "do be careful. I will come looking for you if I don't hear back and ill have to assume your in danger." Crona came to her mother and stood eye to eye with her. Then may have been a time for an embrace, but their hands remained at their sides. "good luck." "thank you mother." Crona lowered her head. "go now, make yourself scarce, you'll can make it to death city in a couple of days if you make haste."

(outside, several moments ago)

outside in the night air, wolfs bayed in in distance. The swamp lands were haunted by slithering and buzzing insects, gopping and gasping amphibious life. The treeline was aglow with the wide dumb eyes of nocturnal animals. In the rotting underbrush human figures crawled sapient like on their hands and feet. Their black leather bound fingers clawing into the mud, spread apart as if in a hunting pack they sniffed the air like hounds through their black gas masks with smoke tented lenses. One rose from its hands, sniffing higher than all the rest, it let loos a guttural howl that chilled the spine, the surrounding wildlife silenced. The other humanoid shapes converging on the creature, they began to howl as well weaving in the twisted trees. The hounds were on the prowl.

(back in Medusa's lair.)

Crona turned from her mother. "goodbye Crona." she said. "goodbye.." Crona repeated. She walked away, into the large corridor. Not far away was the exit of the cave, a craggy hole in the only hill in the swamp leading into a crumbling shack built many ages ago. Crona stopped. She could have sworn that she heard a breath, but it sounded also like the wind. 'the wind dose sound like that, right'? She pondered to herself, standing and staring down the empty hall. Was it her own breath that she heard? It sounded labored, but also much like the wind, Uncanny. There was the sound of a cricket. In a split second she saw movement in her eye. Something rushing toward her faster than she could react too on that notice. She felt the familiar contact of fist to face that knocked her off her feet. She looked above to see a leather bound rail of a human leaping over her, only a moment away from pouncing onto her brandishing a Katar it gripped tightly in its fist. It landed on top of her, landing its heels into her gut. She barked in pain. The blade of the Katar sparking against the stone floor near her head with solid contact, the creature gripped her throat with choking force, she grabbed its wrist but its grip was strong even for hers, she slowly started to pry its murderous grip from her all important human wind pipe but more of the figures closed in, in that moment she could have sworn that one of them was crawling on the sealing. Looking at them from above. A horde of snakes swarmed the houndish men, crawling up their frames and twisting around their body's, they sank their fangs in but he masked figures struck back, the venom of the snakes seemingly impotent. Crona clouted the figure in the throat as it struggled with the snakes on its baddy. Medusa entered in dynamic speed, propelled by a vector plate. She grabbed one of the men from behind, piercing its spine with a dagger. it burbled with pain, pulling at her arm for freedom. A masked man came to assist its brother, roughly grabbing Medusa by her hair, jerking her head back. She growled, forming and a vector plate under his feet that threw him with a bone jarring crunch against the stone wall to beside them. Crona pulled her monoblade impaling her own attacker through the chest, the blood on the end of her sword was black. She pulled herself against its frame, it stabbed its katar into her abdomen. The both stood, there weapons hooked into one an other, crona grabbed her attackers mask, trying to pull it off but the straps were well secured, it grabbed at her throat once more but Crona was quick to block the air supply of the figures mask, it tried to pull away from her hand as it choked and gasped. They both fell to the ground, the black figure landing on top of her but still uselessly trying to pull its precious source of oxygen from her hand. Medusa repeatedly bashed the assailant in her grip with the pommel of her dagger and as it went limp she finished it off by piercing its temple with her blade all the way up to the hilt. She let it go and the figure slumped to the ground. She turned to the twitching figure on the ground, she sat down on its chest, grabbing the man by the chin oh his mask she thrust her dagger through the smokey glass eye piece, it howled and Medusa grinned in satisfaction. She looked over, only for a moment. It was clutching something in its hand. "oh sh-"

there was a horrible sound, so eminence that it made crona's ears ring. The room went white, then yellow then dark red. She felt heat graze her face, the figure on top of her went limp instantly. The assasin that Medusa had been sitting on had been waring a low profile suicide vest strapped with C4 and shrapnel pieces and an incendiary apparatus for good measure . Crona gasped, even for her it was a terrifying blast. She pushed the limp body of the hounds-men off of her, though she might have felt him still breathing. She stomped on his neck to be sure he didn't get back up. She looked around, the hall was desolated. The body of the vest psycho was still on smoking and fire. She looked around for Medusa.

She found her, across the hall, in the floor laying on her side, her body was destroyed by the blast. Her eyes wide, but without life. Her face, staring blankly at the adjacent wall. Crona dropped. She felt of her mothers still warm face but she knew that the heat within her was no longer sentient. She pulled her mothers lifeless body against hers and held it close. She closed her eyes, Medusa's eyes did not, They remained open, staring at Crona as tears slipped out from the corners of her eyes. She fealt a hand claw at her back from behind. She barked in rage, her mothers body slipping form her grip falling to the floor. Crona turned to see one of the figures still clinging to life, still trying to carry out whatever mission it was sent to complete. There was a stone on the floor that had fallen from the ceiling of the cave in the blast. She gripped it in her hand and ferociously belted the man's scull. beating and pounding, each strike growing with malice and rage. She beat its head into black slurry, its body still twitching but just barely. She threw the rock toward the exit of the cave. She let out a breath and returned to her mother. She placed her head on her chest and laid still for a long time.


	12. Chapter 12

(in the middle of nowhere)

Honing in on a soul wavelength isn't as easy as it looks, it takes a familiarity with with any given soul to track it. The difficulty rises with distance and the amount of time away from the person being tracked, so finding Crona in this manner would be impossible. Maka had been driving for a full day , her hopeless task felt like it was looming over her like some boogeyman, but she wouldn't give lord death the satisfaction of her submission, she was going to be the one to find Crona and she was going to be the one that decided what happened next. Looking at timber creek wouldn't likely give any clues to her whereabouts, she probably wouldn't be able to get inside the asylum to look around either. If Crona had not found her way back to death city the only other place for her to hide that came to mind was with her mother, as much as that thought scared Maka.

The sky had been a shade of coal dust all day, threatening to rain. And as the hours rolled into the night drips became drops became heavy rain on a road far way from city lights and streetlamps. Even with her brights on she could hardly see the road. Soon she had no choice, she had to pull over. Just when she thought her luck had all but run out, she saw ahead, a faint glow of an over head light on one of the power poles on the shoulder of the road, The amber glow illuminated a house. It was sort of run down and there were no cars in the driveway, it looked like it had been built in the fifty's but had not seen any residence in at least a decade. If she were honest, she had spent the night in much worse, still, perfect place to be murdered. She pulled into the gravel driveway, and under a car port with a tin roof where she at last found some relief from the pounding rain. She turned off the car. She looked over at her glove box and pulled the handle, she retrieved a handgun and concealed it in her coat pocket.

(earlier that morning, outside Medusa's lair)

Crona stood beside the rotting shack that concealed the entrance to her mothers cave. It took her a couple of hours to lay out a large pile of her mothers fire wood but the result of her work was satisfactory, she collected some dry under brush from the surrounding woods and laid it atop the firewood. After that, she wrapped her mothers body in a sheet. Setting it on top of the mound, she took deep convulsive breaths as she lit the dry weeds and they began to spark. Luckily, her mothers body began to burn evenly and there would be no need to retry. Most witches wished to be cremated, a full return to the earth with no wasteful caskets. The fire became larger and consumed her body. The stench was awful, Crona felt repelled by the odor but she wanted the closure, to pay the respect of watching her mother turn to ash, and to try and remember all the good, if much at all that Medusa had brought to her life. Certainly Medusa came to her rescue at timber creek, but what would she do now? What she had set out to do of cores. But now, Crona had no back up, she was once again in this alone. The road to death city would have been hard before but now she knew that she was being hunted. She couldn't be deterred, not if she was ever going to see Maka again.

The fire passed as the sun rose, she could see it through the pail mist of the swamp. She felt something on her shoulder. She gasped suddenly but then sighed in relief. One of her mothers snakes, her former servants, slithers along her arm, it slithered around her waist and into an opening in her shoulder bag. "are you going to be my new friend?" she asked. the snake did not reply. "okay then I guise." Crona shrugged. She rose to her feet. "then lets go to death city.."

Her boots sank deep into the saturated brown mud of the foggy lowland swamp. It had been a decade since she walked these lands as a child, Crona wasn't a very nostalgic person, she never had that luxury, but the sounds reminded her of her trips with her mother into the marsh lands and the fog glades. Once when Crona was a child she was snatched by the jaws of an alligator, the primordial remnant beast tore at her with its nashing teeth, rolling with her cliched between its jaws, if it had not been for her black blood she would not have survived her wounds, if it were not for a rescue by Medusa then she would not have survived at all. She knew that these amphibious killers were all around, she respected them and promptly avoided them by several meters. She had regained her apatite in the last couple of days but she saw this as yet another bothersome need. She didn't have the time to kill and clean an animal much less the means to cook it. Finding her way out of the swamp was foremost, and while this swamp was known to swallow the existence of more than many travelers who had become lost, she was raised by it, nearly killed by it on more than one occasion, this was her mothers land, and now it was her land. The snake rustled inside of the shoulder bag for the first time in and hour, it stirred only for a moment but a moment long enough to remind her that it was there. She could eat the snake to nourish herself for the journey but until she needed it she would spare her new friend.

The marsh soon became the glades but she didn't need to venture into them, she didn't poses the means to traverse them, it would be far to difficult, and likely dangerous to attempt such a foolish errand. As she did long ago in the foot falls of her mother, she would fallow the edge of the glades with her right shoulder facing east, facing elevation and in fact she could see the hills faintly in the distance. The sun blazed in the sky now, her lips and throat parched. Her mother had given her a canteen that had belonged to someone she knew but didn't talk about. She opened her bag and looked inside, the snake was coiled around the canteen, almost as if it knew why Crona had opened the bag. She gently lifted the can out and opened the lid, she was relieved b the taste of the water but in moments it reminded her of how empty her stomach was. She made a big mistake not taking any food with her and she knew there was no one else to blame for such a folly.

The hike to the distant hills had been the longest leg of the journey, Her hunger made the trip seem that much longer. As she came closer to the hills she could see the dull gray ripple of clouds moving in over the hill. It seemed that with every moment the gloomy blanket of clouds would crawl closer, devouring the blue sky bit by bit like a mobster thrown feet first into a wood chipper. She heard thunder, it echoed off the hill reverberating in the trees that were now behind her. Drops of rain landed on her face as her feet finally marched on solid ground, she was blessed now with elevation and terraferma and she did not feel burdened by the rain, as much disdain as she felt for wet conditions the rain felt different to her. How long had it been since she had felt real rain on her skin? She held out her hand, she let the water soak on her pail ashy skin. She remembered back to her old life, a day when it rained and she shared an umbrella with Maka, she remember how people were running for dry cover but how they both just walked together ,how happy they were just to share the small space under the umbrella together even if it wasn't enough to actually keep them dry. A small smile pulled at Crona's lips, even as the thunder became louder. She came to the top of a hill and below there was nothing but flat land as far as her eye could see. The wind howled in her ear, rain drops growing ever larger blowing into her frame, the sky glowered at her and the thunder growled like an angry god, but to her it was so very beautiful, she felt a profound since of hopelessness and freedom. Maybe she would find shelter from the storm, maybe she would not, she didn't really care.

(late that night, at the derelict house)

Maka's hand pounded on the door, a torrent of rain drenching her back. She rapped on the door once more, water soaking into her gloves, there was no answer, no lights in the windows. She tried the knob but the door was locked. She sighed, looking back to flat and empty night covered fields that rolled on forever. She turned back to the door, Maka rammed her shoulder into the door, again and once more. It would give way with just a bit more force. She focused on a spot about mid way, she raised her leg and firmly kicked the door, her boot planting square on the spot near the door knob and deadbolt. The rotted wood cracked from the other side and with a final shove the door finally gave her entry.

She stood in the door frame. It was obvious that the home had not seen occupation in more than a few decades. She pulled a flashlight from her pocket and shined it to all corners of the room. The carpet had been stripped from the floors and the wallpaper had long ago started peeling or flaking off the walls. She took a step further and it was much louder than she expected. She listened carefully for any sounds of movement, she took few more steps toward a hallway. She stepped into the hall and shined her light all around. She looked down, maka became incredibly uneasy. Foot prints, not her own foot prints, they were watery and caked with mud. She quickly looked back at the door, still open, the foot prints lead from a back door in a kitchen area and down the hall. Her heart thumped in her chest, she felt her pulse beating in her neck behind her ear. She reached into her coat and grabbed the handgun and quietly stepped forward, her hands gripping her pistol at the ready.

A board squeaked under her feet.

the house popped and groaned, settling in its age.

the wind bayed like a beast on the hunt.

Her light shining on each watery foot print in the plywood floors. Her light trailed up to the door at the end of the hallway, a black figure stood in the door way. Her eyes wide, mad with fear. She leveled her pistol and before she could shout a warning the figure moved forward. She pulled the trigger. The flash of fire like the lighting just outside that darkened house and the echo of the shot rang out a sobering bark, The figure stopped. Standing still. Maka's eyes opened wide. The figure looked to its foot where Maka had shot it. She looked into its face.

The sights of the pistol wobbled in her view.

Seeing the face of the tall lonesome figure took all the breath she had.


	13. Chapter 13

(from the author)

I should mention that I totally support a gender neutral Crona and if I actually had a better way of writing the story and referring to Crona in such a way i would probably do it, but due to my readers using Google translate, this would make an already hard to understand story into something far more difficult to pick up and read. It upsets me when people have these big heated debates over Crona's gender based on arguments like "well this one person who wrote soul eater said this." and "well no, they say this in the anime." to that I say: don't be silly. The gender of Crona is by all means up to the individual, even if it was or was not the intentions of her/his creator, I choose to interpret Crona as a girl and that's it, I believe that Crona would personally identify as neither boy or girl, and that's a concept that fascinates me. Crona's gender is otherwise irrelevant to their character, it doesn't really matter. I could talk about this a lot, but iv probably roused enough rabble for tonight, I know that there are a lot of people who are passionate about their own version of soul eater and I wouldn't fuck with that, that's how you get a bomb in your letter box.

I'm Daniel Mathis and Ill shut up now. And hay, thanks.

(in the abandoned house)

" Maka." Crona called, she took a step forward on her bleeding foot, she paused and cringed from the sharp pane. She felt a second impact, one that had been preceded by rushing foot steps. She felt arms tight around her body she looked down at Maka pressed against her chest tightly. Crona softly squeezed Maka in return. "Maka..." she said once more, lowly, halfway between disbelief and elated joy. Maka might have been crying, but only Crona and I know weather or not she was, and this narrator isn't going to tell because that is private information and she likely wouldn't want me to tell you anyway, Maka looked up at her face. "Crona. I cant believe- your really...its true, your really alive.." "of course Maka. I would have been lying before if I wasn't." Maka felt of Crona's body, and her soaking wet robes. "your freezing. What are you doing in this old house? How did you get here?" "i was coming to death city to find you. I came inside to get out of the rain." Maka put her hands on Crona's shoulders. "so we were looking for each other." she said with a smile, a proper smile, one that she didn't have to try and fake." Crona nodded. "Maka I- I'm so happy that your here. That i can be with you. But I have to tell you some things. Its important." Maka nodded. "yeah. theirs a lot to talk about.." Maka embraced Crona once more. If Crona dident feel the way she did about Maka she would have been made very uncomfortable "I'm just so happy that your safe."

(in the back of Maka's car)

Crona sank her teeth into a protean bar, the stale brick had a taste that vaguely resembled bitter chocolate, the center of which was advertised as 'worlds fluffiest nougat treat' in writing as small as the probability of its claim, it seemed more like saw dust and Styrofoam, she was regretting her returned appetite but she wouldn't say anything about it. It was to only thing that Maka had. Crona denied being as hungry as she was but Maka could see the hunger in Crona's eyes, more than one kind of hunger in fact, She insisted that Crona have it. inside the car the two were silent, they sat together in the back seat, neither of them knowing exactly what to say or what the other was thinking, each of them had news to relay but the silence was so comforting, they could have sat there for hours just by themselves , listening to each others breathing, seemingly removed from the world, but they knew that they were in fact not removed at all, It was all happening now and every moment they spent relaxing in the silence the troubles outside the little metal shell of the car grew steadily. "my-" Crona croaked in a dry voice. She swallowed and began again. "my mother is dead." she said lowly. Maka didn't much care for Medusa but she could see that it bothered Crona. "what happened to her?" "she was killed by assassins that came for me." "assassins?" Maka asked. Crona nodded. "people in black waring masks, they weren't normal." "we had an incident too." Maka looked out the window to the empty house, awash with the glow of the only streetlight. "the guy shot my dad, then he turned into some big monster and got in a fight with lord death, then he ran away." she turned back to Crona. "he mentioned you by name." "they want to take me back to the asylum don't they..Maka, you have to believe me. That asylum was a bad place." "i know Crona, I know." "no. no one dose, no one knows just how bad it is. This is so much bigger than any of us, the truth is so much more terrible. And your the only person I can trust." Maka put her hands on Crona's shoulders. "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you." "there isn't anything they can do to me they haven't already done. I'm afraid of what they'll do to you if they find you with me."

Maka was silent, she shifted a little then she leaned in toward Crona. "Crona, there was something I wanted to say the last time-" there was a loud thud. They both froze, as quite as stones. The thin metal roof moaned with the sound of weight pressed to its surface. They looked at each other in the face, Maka drew her gaze to the sealing of the cab and reached into her coat pocket pulling the pistol, pointing it at the roof she pulled the trigger, blasting ten millimeter thought the roof of her old tan corolla. The shots were deafening in the in closed space, as Maka, gritted her teeth at the ringing in her ears she and Crona watched a person shaped figure roll down the side of the car. They both turned to one another and spoke in unison. "stay in the car." they both said. Without a look back at one another they made for their doors. The body rolled to Maka's side of the car. She flung her door open to see it still laying on the ground. She heard the other door open to see Crona pop out. She looked all around. "Crona get back in the car-" a black suited assassin swung in from the roof of the shack, planting the heels of his boots into the side of Maka's face. Maka was bunced against the car. She could hear Crona shouting something. Maka saw the assassin ready to strike but she countered by pistol whipping the figures bony wrist, and cracked it in the head once more with the heavy metal pommel at he base of the pistols magazine. It rammed its shoulder into her pushing her into the side of the car, she struggled against its grip while it fought for control of for her gun but she was much stronger. As the barrel of the pistol inched closer to the assassins head it decided to cut its losses and shoved away before Maka could pull the trigger. Across from them Crona was faced with the rest of the group, three men armed with a mixture of knifes and batons. She drew her blade but was no sooner assaulted by two of the assassins. A blow to her center of mass was staggering and allowed them multiple strikes before she could parry one of their blows, her blade slid down the rolled surface of the baton slicing into her attackers knuckles, while the assassin was stunned briefly by the bight of her monoblade she brought it down onto the assassins neck. A boot was planted into her ribs by the other assailant, felling Crona onto her back. The assassin stood over her ready to strike, she could see that the assassin with the brutalized neck was still alive but on his knees. The man standing over her raised his baton, she expected a white flash of pain but instead she heard only a loud crack. A bullet piercing its chest it stumbled with the sudden shock of the ten millimeter round ripping into its chest, Maka fired twice more but missed the fallow up shots. Crona thrusted her blade into the ne'er do wells abdomen and ripped it savagely through the man's soft organic core, blackish blood and organs spilling as he dropped to his knees on top of her weekly pounding its dieing fists into her chest. She could only hear a muffled drone through the killers mask. Maka meanwhile took her shots at the remaining assassins, her aim wasn't true she wasn't a marksmen after all, hardly any of her bullets met their mark but she did well enough to suppress the assassins, they seemed to posses some animalistic fear of the gun fire, like that of a horse. They fell back further with each shot until they appeared to flee. Maka was quick to help Crona to her feet. "be careful they might still be around." Maka said, reloading her last spare magazine. They cautiously made way to the car. Maka shut her back door and sat in the drivers seat and Crona quickly took the passenger seat. "we have to go now, before they come back!" Maka slid the key into ignition and started the engine. She looked into the rear view mirror to see one of the black figures drop down behind the car, she yanked the stick into reverse and matted the gas peddle, there was a loud thump, the car shook as the tire rolled over the thin man who now lay broken on the gravel driveway. She cut the wheel hard swinging the car forty degrees, the headlights illuminating at least a dozen shadow figures approaching from the darkness. She worked the gear shifter back into drive. The tires squealed against the wet asphalt.

Maka white knuckled the steering wheal, the engine groaned as if it were a metal beast that had lost control. Crona laid her hand on her knee. "i think were safe now Maka. You should slow down.." Maka loosened her grip and lowered her tense shoulders. "yeah..yeah..were fine." she said. Her head was yanked back suddenly as she felt leathery arms wrap around her neck from behind. She struggled at the wheel. Crona turned to face one of the assassins who had been hiding in the back seat, she reached for her knife when they all to some capacity saw headlights ahead. Maka swerved to avoid a collision, the car went off the shoulder of the road, the car was airborne, life was in slow motion, impact.

Maka experienced only brief flashes of contentiousness. She saw Crona slumped against the dash In the passenger side. There was a large hole in the wind shield where the assassin lay bleeding on the hood of the car. Maka could see bright lights descending the steep embankment. She felt hands under her shoulders and slowly she was dragged away.


	14. Chapter 14

(Shady Pines General Hospital)

It was two hours sense Crona had woken up in the hospital, the smell of bleach made her eyes water, being handcuffed by both wrists to the gurney she could not wipe them, it gave the appearance that she was weeping. She wasn't sad, she was anxious and upset. The staff wouldn't listen to her even when she told them what was happening, that people were coming after her, they would stare at her and hurry out of the room, she had begun to loos any hope of receaving any help at all when Someone came and stood in the door way, but she did not look at them, if it was another nurse it would not matter and if it was another black blood goon than she wouldn't be able to fight for her own life anyway. The human shape just stood there silently, she felt eyes on her and soon she had no choice but to look or else the beating of her black misshapen heart would pop like...well like a bag of artery's and warm blood. She gasped, her eyes wide with everything that she would have said but could not iterate. Kid stood in the door way, his expression equally as surprised. He did not look on her with fear, the look of fear in his eyes came from something else entirely, or no, not fear, concern. He came up to her, his movements were stilted and clumsy, it was completely unnatural of him. "kid." she said. Looking up at his face, smeared with tense anxiety. He placed a hand over one of hers.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." she understood the expression now and all that it implied, at least she thought so. "for all of this, everything." he explained further "everything that you've suffered, I'm sorry." he said now leaning a little to close. "its not your fault Kid." kid shook his head "i wish that were true, my father never looked your way again when you were sent away, but I had to know what was happening to you and when I heard what they were really doing to you..I couldn't save you, you were locked up to tight. I tried to tell my father but he didn't believe me. When I heard about your escape I had prayed that I would get to you before my father's men." "your not mad?" Crona asked with hopeful eyes. "no, of course not, I don't blame you for what you had to do to get out of there." Crona's face lightened. "maybe now with you Maka and I can talk to lord death." Kids expression became grim "about Maka.."

(the Ester Finch estate)

the old man wiped the sweat off his bald head. he Watched as the Hound assassins marched double file down the hall of his manor, the mud on their boots seeping into his delicate red tapestrys. Armed soldiers stacked sand bags on the ivory colored stone steps of the main entrance and when he spotted one of the knocking out a glass window for an MG nest he nearly had a stroke. Steve the interne had been taken away for "reeducation" with someone Heinrich called "the deacon" he sat now in his study, with a shaking hand he poured two glasses of scotch. One for him and one for the trench coat wearing military man across from him. Heinrich tipped his peeked cap and tossed back the stout liqueur, drinking it all in one gulp. He sat the glass down on the desk. Scotch isn't a beverage for drinking but rather for sipping but finch decided to keep that to himself, it would be unwise to upset his superior, even if this was his home. "let me assure you Ester that the sacrifice of your mansion makes up for your blunder at the asylum, these lodgings will do nicely for our troops. Ill even let you keep this wonderful office." "your too generous Commissar." Heinrich nodded in agreement. " messengers report a retrieval team has just arrived, and they have the sanguinette with them! Total victory is surely ours." "wonderful new's." finch deflated with relaxation of triumph. "I'm glad that I could be a part of the cause." there was a pounding on the door across the room. "enter." Heinrich commanded. The door swung open. A squad of armed operators restraining a kicking and struggling figure with a burlap sack over its head. With considerable struggle they carried their prisoner to lord commissar Heinrich and Ester Finch. The set her on the ground gently despite her struggle. The men stopped and saluted Heinrich. "ah, yes good, finally, it has been so long sense I have seen her. Remove the sack, I wish to see her face." The the most senior of the squad knelt down and removed the burlap sack as she struggled with her bindings. Heinrich's smile died instantly, he stared silently, intensely. The room fell so quite that the only thing heard was a ticking clock across the room and marching boots down the hall."this is not Crona..." he said. "bight my ass you creep!" Maka barked. Her face deep crimson with rage. "sir, there were two-" the senior operator interjected. Heinrich put a hand to his face and held his finger out to the man. "shhhhh..." the room feel eerily silent once more save for Maka's heavy breathing. "you had one job." "sir there were two of them..." "two of them.." he laughed. Heinrich clouted the man in his throat toppling him onto the floor, Heinrich landed himself on top of him and began to strangle him the operator fighting uselessly against his unbreakable grip "you had one job!" the man under him gagged, the others only stood and watched. Maka watched as well but with more scorn than fear. It all went on a little longer than they all expected, that is to say that man must have had a lot of air in his lungs. Despite Heinrich's efforts he wasn't dead, only uncontentious. Heinrich stood and flattened a wrinkled in his jacket. "okay! While that unsavory business was taking place I believe I have found a solution to this problem.." he paused briefly. "i know who you are, no need for any introductions." he smiled at Maka, Maka sneered in return. "Maka. Yes, Maka, before lord death shouted your name the other day I had only..read about you, in cronas love letters to you." he teased. Maka failed to find the humor. "get on with it." she said. "oh I know how she feels about you." he shrugged with a dismissive look. "eh, to be true, I expected someone a little bit taller." "maybe if you stand still for a minute ill bight your ankles off, hows that?" "not to bright ether. Hard to say what dear Crona sees in this one am I right ." the old man nodded. "kinda flat chested too." "hay fuck you pal." Maka said. Heinrich cleared his throat so that all "as I was saying, Crona is sure to come for her. Why give her a reason to leave when she comes to retrieve her? Why, the only reason Maka is so hostile is because she dose not know the truth, the prophesy, the coming of the blood god." "is this a cult?" Heinrich ignored her "but am I angry? No! She is but another step toward our salvation in the loving favor of the sanguinette." "so, yes on the cult thing." Maka rolled her eyes. "take her to the deacon for reeducation, have him teach her some manors as well.' "ooohh your gunna' get it! Just wait!" She said as she was dragged toward the door. "you can tell my friends about this whole blood god thing when your picking your teeth up off the ground. Off the ground!" she hollered before disappearing into the hall.

(Shady Pines General Hospital )

Kid held Crona in head lock barley holding her at bay from the breech of the electric sliding doors. "no! Crona, you cant..." he struggled against her surprising strength. "you cant leave yet, you have a concussion!" "i have to save Maka! You don't understand kid I-I have too!" "we're going to but you have to be treated first!" Crona's feet began to slide against the smooth tiles of the hospital floor "there's no time kid! N-no time!" "you don't even know where she is." the staff and patents of the ER looked on in exasperation "if you'll just listen to me.." he managed to pull her one step a time back away from the exit "then we can have you fixed up, and ill tell you where we can find her, and we can plot a rescue." Crona stopped struggling and the both paused, breathing heavily with exhaustion. Crona bolted for the door one last time, kid skillfully hooked his leg around her ankle as she ran by tripping her, landing her face first into the high strength glass doors, leaving only a large forehead print. He stood over her as she rubbed her head. "Crona I understand why you want to save her. I know how you feel about her, I always have. But what your dealing with is far to dangerous for you to handle on your own." he offered her a hand up. She took his hand and pulled her to her feet. Her expression was one of reluctance, not just reluctance to stand by and wait but also to trust. "okay.." she said lowly. "thank you, I know this must be difficult and after all you've been through you don't deserve this." Crona was silent "i told her we would have dinner after all, as friends of course, it would be a shame if I fell back on my word because she was nabbed by cultists. I swear that we will do everything we can to get her home safely."

(in the basement of the Ester Finch Estate)

Maka listened closely to the sounds in the dead still room. the cellar of the old manor had been flooded many times, puddles of water still remained on the concrete floors as well as the spots that where bare soil. There was a lantern lit near the door but the chair she was tied too had her facing away from the door. The boards over head creaked, she could hear the jackboots of solders over her head. The door behind her creaked suddenly, she hadn't even heard any foot steps, she tried not to breath a fast as her lungs and her nerves demanded but she could feel the instant rise in her blood pressure, her heart beating faster as she knew that she was no longer alone, she felt eyes on her and she knew that a terrible soul was just behind her, if only she could see it. "your fear is misplaced Maka. I am not hear to harm you." she heard a voice so familiar it resonated in her brain. She took a sharp breath much to large for her own throat to handle. Now it was impossible, that voice, sweet as honey at one time but now..now it was putrid, its once fervent righteousness had become toxic. He placed his pail hands on her shoulders from behind. "i know your destiny, and I am here to guide to you to your glorious salvation". Her eyes were wide with horror. "Justin.." she turned expecting to see his young blemish free face but she was met with a horrible iron mask that filled her soul with dread. "let me be the first to bring you the salvation of the blood god." she could not see his face but she knew that he was smiling, it wasn't the kind of smile she would have wanted to see anyway. "Justin..come on, were friends. Remember the DWMA? Before you left, yeah? Remember all those good times? Hay I still have that bible you gave me, I read it..a few times." he laughed "oh Maka if only you knew how different things are.." he paused "then you would know to stop talking." Maka did just that. "pleas..this is crazy Justin. Lets get out of here." "oh no Maka, were going nowhere. why, soon the sanguinette will be upon us!" he spoke in an excited, one would say gleeful tone. "which brings me back to your roll in all of this." he sighed with joy. "oh Maka, if only I knew how important you were going to be. I would have kidnapped you myself a long time ago! Certainly I could have started your reeducation long ago and we wouldn't have rush. But Rome didn't burn in a day!" Maka took a deep sporadic breath, she knew that this would not end well, or quickly..at all.


	15. Chapter 15

(from the author)

I want to say again how much I enjoy reading comments and reviews on this story, or just talking to like-minded people about Soul Eater in general, thanks a lot to everyone who supports this story and if you would like to talk about the story or your own story or just say hi, my in box is always open.

Also in the next chapter just for fun I'm going to do a small..contest..type thing, I guise you could call it, all Ill say about it right now is, I hope you've been paying attention. To the winner...I don't know, I guise ill say something nice?

this is a short chapter and serves mostly as a recap but will further the story as well.

This has been your friendly neighborhood fanfiction writer Daniel Mathis, probably, and hay, thanks.

(the next day)

Arriving in death city was not the victory that she had hoped it would be. With Maka being held by mysterious zealots whose goals were still somewhat undefined, it was hard to find anything to be happy about. Kid had been very cautious during their arrival, she was only out in the open all together about five minutes, he instructed her to hide her face. He guided her down dark corridors and back streets and avoided any heavily congested arias where someone would more likely recognize her. No one knew of her arrival, most had generally forgotten about her, but lord deaths eyes and ears were all over and it only takes one whisper one mention that they saw a familiar face that didn't belong. "do you remember who that girl was? The one with the pink hair, wasn't she the one that was sent to prison or something?" they might have said "yeah, that was her wasn't it, weird right?" the rumor mill of the Meister underground would no sooner be ablaze with all sorts of tails. They crossed a nearly deserted street that Crona recognized she also recognized the building that they stopped in front of, the old Death Bucks Coffee House. The sign in the window read "closed indefinitely" some of the windows were broken and the shades were all down so no one could see inside, tables and benches on the outside had been vandalized or nicked long ago. "what happened?" Crona asked, she remembered this as the place she had her first cup of real coffee with Maka and soul and the others. "they shut the it down after the health and safety inspector found bat guano on the sealing tiles. Dad had another one built across town..coffee never tasted the same." he shrugged, he reached into his pocket. "but sometimes the old gang meets up here." he pulled out a key and unlocked the front door. He opened it for her and they walked in, he locked to door behind them. "why are we here?" she looked up to see the faces of her old friends. Patty and Liz, Tsubaki, Black*Star and even soul. She looked at them all her mouth open very slightly, she didn't know what to say. The silence almost became awkward then Black*star spoke. "yep, that's Crona alright." he said almost as if her were board with the situation now. Tsubaki popped his hand with a spoon that was laying on the table. "i called everyone back together to welcome you back to the city and to discuss how we will get Maka back.." soul sat forward. "hold on you didn't say anything about Maka." he sat back and crossed his arms. "come on, whats this really about huh?." "just a moment soul ill fill you all in" kid said stepping forward.

He cleared his throat into his closed fist, then stood with his hands behind his back "well everyone, I'm sorry to have you all figure out this way, but everything you knew about Crona being sent away was a lie. My father made a huge mistake when he turned Crona over to the Timber Creek asylum. You see, timber creek was never actually an asylum at all, the people that came, the ones that tested Crona and the severity of her mental illness were all agents and scientists working under assumed identity's and credentials, Timber Creek Asylum was only a shell organization covering up a massive biological weapons program. Timber Creek solutions Industries was owned by several escaped Nazi war criminals and scientists looking for the next step in human evolution, and they believed what they were looking for was in the black blood. They had worked for decades kidnapping or simply..and most upsettingly, buying people, human beings with the black blood for their experiments. From what I could gather from the information I was able to mine from their records, Crona was the apex of all of there work, all of their research, and selling her would have gained the corporation millions." there was a long silence, most of them were still trying to catch up, Crona herself even seemed confused by it all. "so when dose the movie come out?" Patty asked absent of mind "as I was saying.." kid started once more. "Crona broke containment and escaped, but she is being perused by a cult, their intentions are unknown at this point, possibly they were one party seeking to acquire her through timber creek via transaction, but it is assumed by the nature of the attack that took place at the DWMA that their motives are religious." "so..were not going to get pizza after this?" Black*star said not nearly disappointed but mostly curios. "I'm afraid pizza will wave to wait Black*Star." kid replied in the nicest tone possible, but this sort of behavior was quite typical, they never took his roll of strategic commander seriously. He looked over at Crona "if only we could have had you back under better circumstances. We'll have time to welcome you home properly when Maka is back with us." he turned to everyone else. "by the way, this will be completely covert, my father dose not know about our mission, and once more I thank you all for being part of this.."

(In the basement of the Finch Estate)

the advanced curriculum of the DWMA covered torture and interrogation resistance, there was even a course for hands on training. Students who volunteered for the course had there shins beaten ragged with bamboo, consequently strengthening those bones in the end, however painful it was. They were beaten, stretched, taunted and belittled, black*star lost a tooth, all in all good times. Both Justin and Maka had undergone this trial, Justin knew that Maka was tenacious and quite resilient for her stature. Both in body and mind she was difficult to break, but his bloody handy work was the very reason he was chosen by Heinrich, he could see the cracks forming in her stone wall demeanor. "I cant understate how important it is for you to curve your enthusiasm Maka, Were not just talking about about the future, this is your destiny. Would you like me to tell you again your roll in the coming days?" Maka took dogged breaths, sweat and blood dripping down her red raw cheeks onto her chin. She did not answer. He pushed her head back, looking into her eyes. "would you like me to tell you again?" he tilted his head with curiosity. "or can you now tell me your destiny?" she refused yet again to answer. "understand how difficult this is for me. Iv been given the opportunity to help prepare you for your inevitable future but you continue to deny me. I feel in you the love for Crona, I know your heart truly longs for eternal devotion, all I ask is for you to give yourself to the blood god, when Crona comes to us you will be the key to help her relies what she truly is. The sanguinette lies sleeping within her, but she is nothing without the blood maiden.." Maka made a raspy laugh. "sorry I think I fell asleep, could you repeat all that?" Justin stood upright. He laughed as well but in a stilted manner. "okay then, we'll try again." he said as he retrieved a blowtorch from the table behind her.


	16. Chapter 16

(from the author)

Daniel Mathis couldn't be here this weekend ,so instead its me Daniel Mathis filling in for him. later on this chapter will go into some lore that sort of made up, its inspired by the H.P Lovecraft Mythos and War Hammer 40K lore, feed back on that bit would be appreciated, Daniel is really nervous about mixing his own original content with Soul Eater, he wants to preserve the integrity of the Soul Eater universe but we both agree that he cant continue a new soul eater story without adding new stuff. Daniel also said something about a contest last week? well he cant be here this week and I'm not sure what he had in mind so i guise he'll do that next week or whenever he gets around to it.

This has been Daniel Mathis, the author Daniel Mathis will be back next week, and hay thanks.

Black*star had sort of won his way, pizza was ordered, of course you cant plot a raid on a violent death cult on an empty stomach. Dining with her old friends gave Crona an opportunity to catch up with them. That goes without saying, things were atrociously awkward. Everyone avoided talk of the asylum, and the events leading to her being taken away, though it seemed to way heavily on Kid. Mostly Crona stared at the table in front of her and tried to make conversation, but it was just as hard as she remembered it, not like talking to Maka or Medusa the people in life that she was most comfortable speaking to. stringing words into coherent sentences, remembering things that people did or did not like to talk about, in this way social interaction never made sense to her and perhaps her words were not always her own, she would open her mouth sometimes and words would come out and either things would work out or they would not. People making abstract references, hand gestures, and asinine metaphors that seemed completely foreign to her. Some might chalk it up to her decade long isolation but no, Crona had always felt this way, out of touch, out of place. She could see however, just as she had when she was a student, that these people that she called friends welcomed her anyway. That if anything, gave her a home, even if she currently held no tangible residence, it was more of a since of belonging, which she still didn't entirely understand, but then again, dose anyone really know what it means to belong? no. many may claim to have the answer, Crona did not. But we know what it feels like, smells like ,looks like. It looked like this. Friendly faces, camaraderie, feelings that were shared, feelings that remained unshared, eye contact made in manners most sincere and yet at times lighthearted and filled with mirth. It was all of that and other things that she also noticed but didn't think about in that moment.

Patty looked over at Crona from across the room. She stifled a giggle that only her sister and Kid who were sitting at the same table could hear. "what is it?" Liz asked picking mushrooms off of her slice of "Big Rico's" pizza. "he's kind of cute." Liz looked over. "who.." "Crona. Such a cute guy, I just wanna hug em till he runs out of air." she said, absent minded of her choice of words. Liz looked at patty, lifting any eyebrow of suspicion, Kid refused comment. "right well, you can hug Crona if you want but I think you should probably ask...him..first, hes probably not used to hugs." patty didn't seem to be listening.

"come on man, eat up." Black*Star gestured to the uneaten pizza on the table. "i just, cant eat this.." she said. He squinted at her. "what are you a vegetarian?" Crona shook her head. "no no, its not about the food, I'm just so nervous, and guilty, Maka wouldn't be in trouble if it weren't for me." black*star shrugged. "who's fault it is doesn't matter. Sick fucks are gunna' get whats comin' to em'" Tsubaki jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow as she chewed on a slice of pizza. "sorry." he said somewhat begrudgingly . "those rapscallions will get there just deserves..there is that better?" soul continued eating quietly. This being a free meal while he didn't have funds to spare he made sure to get his fill. Crona looked around at them. "guys, thanks for the help. I'm sorry this all had to be so much trouble." Tsubaki smiled at her. "everything will be fine, together we'll make sure nothing bad happens to her, kid is already working on a plan and trust me, since you've been away he's lead the DWMA to pull of countless bold operations." Black*Star nodded in agreement. "we'll get Maka back and if they hurt her we'll squash those dudes even harder." Crona turned to soul "and thank you too soul. I know it must be hard since she's you partner.." soul scowled at her. The others held there breath. If it hadn't been awkward before it was now. "whatever. No one told me this was a rescue mission for her anyway." Crona gave him a confused look. "look I know your out of the loop, that's why I'm not going do what I feel like doing." "soul, ease up brother." Black*star said, trying to defuse the situation. "give her a chance." soul sat back in his seat. He looked at her "sorry I guise." he said "I've been irritated with the whole situation. after Maka left me high and dry It's been tough getting by." Crona looked away "oh..i see. If you don't want to help I understand." he sighed "no Ill help, not gonna' like it though." he trailed off . Tsubaki and black*star sat silently, they tried to steer clear of the topic all together, at times he seemed to be on the edge of realizing what he had done wrong but he often fell into spells of self pity and blame on everyone but himself, they and the rest of his friends knew that it was up to him to own up to the mistakes that he made. "Black*Star, Tsubaki, Crona, a moment please." Kid called from the other side of the room, now standing. The three rose from the table and headed his way.

Kid walked over behind the counter where once hot beverages and pastry's were served to the students and hipsters that once inhabited the cafe the others fallowed standing on the opposite side of the counter. "first of all, Crona, I apologize but I have to admit that I mislead you at the hospital, I don't know where Maka is, I had to calm you down some how but I know that we can find her..." Crona crossed her arms but not in anger, she seemed to consider kid for a moment and then nodded with acceptance. Kid was relieved that she forgave so easily. Or was it forgiveness? He decided that he was forgiven..."lady's, gentlemen, the first faze of the OP will rest in your hands. It is critical that we pin point her location before the trail falls cold. Crona, you were the last person to see Maka, you have..possibly the strongest bond with her, of any of us." he said lowly. "i need you to try as hard as you can to track her soul wavelength." Crona let out breath "i don't know if I can." she said disappointed in her self. "i haven't been able to read souls or see them very well. Their so blurry I- I think it was something that happened to me in the asylum." kid lowered his head in thought. "i see, that's concerning. Her soul wavelength may be the only way we can find her. Every moment we lose, the signal will fade." "what about soul? He's her partner." Kid looked over at soul but spoke to them only. "they were partners, after their break up, their connection was more than likely damaged." he placed his hands flat on the counter and gave them the stern glower of a military leader. "regardless, I know of someone who is willing to help us with that issue, they will be pivotal in our victory."

(late that night)

light flooded the dark basement room that Maka had now been imprisoned in for three days. Justin stood in front of her. His chin held high. "we made quite a bit of progress yesterday." he said proudly. "so today as reward were going to take a trip, ill give you a chance to stretch your legs." he unbuckled the restraints on her wrists. Maka sat unresponsive. "come." he said, motioning her to stand. Maka twitched and trembled, the muscles of her battered and bruised legs straning. The brutal physical and psychological torture had taken a grim tole on her mind and body, she had taken herself as far as she could to a point where we must all eventually take ourselves, when we can no longer resist. What hurt the most was the disappointment in her self, that she could not resist them longer, that she could not make the breaking of her spirit and body harder for them. "yes.." he said looking a her in a crazed, yet restrained manor. "if only you did not belong to the divine." a snarl pulled at Maka's lips but it died before it could take form. He guided her by the shoulders to the corridor. At the end of the corridor was an elevator. He summoned the lift with the call button and they waited in silence. He prompted Maka to enter first and he fallowed. The ride was longer than one would would expect, Maka didn't ponder the wait however, she didn't think of much of anything at all. "no doubt you have been fed lies about the black blood." Justin said moments before the elevator door opened. "that's very unfortunate, you see the pane that their heresy has brought you. But now that we've cleared things up you have a chance to start over again." he put his arm around her shoulder and guided her out of the elevator. Maka watched as men and women in fine black and red military dress uniforms marched in sync through the lobby. Justin led her through the large mansion, preaching for what seemed like hours.

"in days long before presidents and governments, before kings and lords and tyrants, the lands were ruled by gods, some born of the new world and some that predated the world all together, like the Great Old One Yog Sototh or Cthulu. These old gods were great in number across the stars but in this corner of the cosmos they were few, The old gods despised the new, proclaiming that their birth was a challenge to their power. Among the newborn gods were Lord Death, the Grim Reaper, and the Blood God, Sanguine. They grew to be the most powerful of their brothers and sisters, feeding off the primordial cosmic radiation just as the elder gods had done before them. The wrath of the elder gods was daily, oppressing the new gods and killing the ones that they could."

"so lord death knew the blood god?" Maka asked, possibly only to find out if she could still speek at all, Justin nodded fondly. "brothers, lord death and the blood god formed a pact to stand against the old gods that terrorized them or to die. Their bravery inspired the other gods to fight with them. This began the War in Heaven and it would take me ages to teach you all that happened in those days when the sky was black and red and hot with death. The war crafted our world, it was forged in the fury of the gods. Yog Sothoth and Cthulu killed a great many gods, the rage only made Sanguine and Lord Death Stronger. At wars end the old gods were brought low, their powers failed. Both Sanguine and Lord Death sought to punish Yog Gothoth and Cthulu and all the lesser gods, their minions, there proxy's that served them. It was then that the Blood god truly earned his name as he slew them by the dozens, their blood made the oceans run red. Lord Death foolishly took mercy on the elder gods, sapping them of their remaining strength and sealing them away in death like sleep." Maka looked over at Justin, one could almost confuse her look of curiosity as sincere, and perhaps it really was. "but why?" Justin smiled. "he draws his power from them, keeping them imprisoned and in stasis so that he can feast on their eldritch energy. The energy that he used to betray the blood god, lord death murdered his brother, insuring his sole reign over a new race of humans that had been born of the war. Can you guise who that would be." Maka hesitated, she didn't want to answer, she didn't want him to know that she was slowly buying in to his teachings. She look away. "meisters." she said lowly. "that's right." Jason seemed to digress. Perhaps catching his breath. They circled back around to the entrance of the mansion. "i have one last thing to show you Maka, if your not convinced yet. That is if your okay with an armed escort.." Maka. Gave a slow involuntary nod. "brilliant. Then we will leav soon. But first, I'm willing to bet that your hungry." Maka nodded again, not so involuntary. "well then, food first and then we'll be off. I think your going to be very surprised by what I have to show you. Why, you'll see that this resistance that you put up was just silliness." he laughed. And what scared Maka the very most, was that she was starting to believe him.


	17. Chapter 17

(Death Bucks Cafe)

Evening fell on her first day back in Death City, everyone was working as fast as possible given the circumstances but Crona still felt that she had spent too much time doddling. She peered through the shades on the windows to see soul and Black*Star retuning from a small preparational errand. They appeared to be pushing a steamer trunk on a large cart down the sidewalk. Crona found this peculiar but didn't ask about it. She and Kid held the doors open for them and then Kid inspected the trunk. "this is the best that we could do?" he asked. Black*Star nodded. The trunk didn't seem very special, It was made of old panel wood and nails with aged brass trimmings and a lock, it did seem rather old and had patches of heavy dust all around it. "whats this for?" Crona asked. "what inside?" "uhm, you." Soul said. "why?" "we can take you across town without being seen. Lord Deaths guys are officaly looking for you." Black*star opened the lid. "iv pulled this trick like a million times. Don't worry we poked some air holes in the sides and everything." he assured her, although she didn't looked assured at all. She looked at Kid to confirm this lunacy. He nodded "primitive, but that is the plan, we have to work with what we have." "is that my grand mothers trunk? Black*star that's an antique!" Tsubaki said emerging from the bathroom. "and you poked holes in it?!"

a squabble between black*Star and Tsubaki commenced but Crona was extracted from the conversation. She suddenly felt a strong pair of arms around the top half of her body. She turned to see patty standing at her side smiling wide. Crona squirmed not uncomfortably but awkwardly. "oh, hay.." she said "nice to- see..you?" "i just wanted to say hi and give you a big hug before you left." "thanks patty." Crona said, she decided to roll with it and let patty have the hug but she had to admit it went on a little longer than she expected, it felt nice though and to have the support of a friend made her feel better. Patty abruptly stopped, she gave her one last smile, then took a step back, looking down Crona's slender frame, slowly and intently as if analyzing, it was a look which Crona had to pretend not to notice. 'oh, gosh..' Crona thoght and looked away quickly. 'did she..' she discreetly looked back in Patty's direction but she was meandering way. Crona felt warmth in her face. "jeez Patty.." she whispered under her breath. Crona may have been a touch naive when it came to romance but even she could tell when someone was checking her out, and that happened almost never even at her days at the academy, but patty of all people? So strange, best not to think about it to hard, she thought to herself.

By the time Crona returned the conversation the others were having she found that Black*Star was on the ground bleeding from the nose with four distinct knuckle marks on his upper lip. Tsubaki was stomping away. "are you ready to go?" Black* star asked though a mouth full of blood and loos teeth. Crona sighed and approached the trunk, she stepped into the container and sat down curling herself into a ball as tightly as possible. She took at deep breath, oddly it reminded her of the games of hide and seek that Eruka the witch forced her into playing when they were children. Soul had the intentions of gently closing the lid but it fell out of his uncoordinated hand, slamming the lid closed. The jarring sound made her flinch "sorry. My bad.." he said loud enough for her to hear.

It felt like hours as they rolled her around the city in seemingly random patterns, stopping then speeding up, hitting curbs and bumps, it felt like they rolled her down a stair case or two but their plan for the most part seemed to work. Save for the parts when Black*star tried riding the top of the trunk like a surf board across the cross walks, no one seemed to look their way. The ride became most miserable when they rolled onto a gravel path. "don't worry, were almost there." Black*Star said, but even after that it felt like they couldn't end the ride soon enough.

Suddenly they stopped. black*star and Soul talked for a moment before opening the lid. Crona sat up, exasperated, she looked all around trying to gather her surroundings. She saw trees, odd, because Death City is in the Middle of one of the most inhospitable desserts in the world. There were only a few places that actually had real trees, not the convincing Synthetic plastic ones. There were tomb stones and a rolling mist. It was night time but she was sure that the sun was up when they left and the amount of time she spent in the box was not long enough for the day time cycle to end. She turned to see the large looming white house that she was parked in front of. The looming giants electric aura reminded her exactly where she was. She stood without a word and stepped out of the Trunk, she walked toward the house. The others fallowed curios of her reaction. She stood in front of the door, she looked over at the door bell and pressed it.

When the door opened a certain heat wafted from the interior along with a smell of something sweet like vanilla or honey. But standing in the doorway, was not the person she expected to see. There was a little boy with white hair and a soft face that any mother would love. They both looked at each other silently, when abruptly, the boy slammed the door. The three standing outside were befuddled to say the least. Moments later the door opened again and once more it was not the person Crona had been expecting. Marie, tall, blond and as magnificent as ever, took a sharp surprised breath. "oh- oh my.." she said looking at the young pink headed creature in the door way. "Ms. Marie?" Crona asked. "yeah- uh y-yes. Crona.." she paused and let out another breath full of astonishment. "sorry, I knew you were coming but, but I just." she trailed off "it's very nice too see you again." Crona nodded "I'm happy to see you too ." they shared a quick embrace but this one was a little more casual, quicker and less awkward. She welcomed them inside but instructed them to take off their shoes. "who answered the door a minute ago?" Crona asked looking around for the young boy. "that was our son, sorry about that." "our?" Crona asked. The looked over to the living room to see Doctor Stien sitting at one of his many computer desks, watching the boy who looked almost exactly and one would say rather uncanny, half the likeness of Stien and half Marie. Crona's eyes were wide, her mouth falling open slightly. Stien looked over at her. "hay hay!" he stood and walked toward them "you guys are right on time for dinner. Tuna casroll all around." he approached Crona and looked her over with a certain scientific interest disguised as a mere glance but anyone could see that he was dissecting her with his eyes. "he patted her shoulder good too see one of my straight A students again." he turned to Black*Star and Soul. "and...my most enthusiastic students.." he said as if he were just trying to include them out of pity, they weren't really the best after all but they would take what they could get. Crona still looked between him and his son with intense curiosity. "hard to imagine Stien as a family man isn't it." soul said gravitating toward the kitchen where he smelled a hot home meal. "doctor, I'm sorry its been a long time. I didn't mean to be rude." Stien gave a dismissive shrug "that's okay, I understand. And first of all let me tell you that I know why your here. Don't worry, kid told Marie and I everything, I'm going to help you get Maka back." "you will?" Crona asked, perhaps knowing Stien was on board made her feel the most optimistic she had been. And why would she not feel good about having the best meister ever to graduate from the academy join them in their quest? "say hello Ronnie." Stien said turning to his son who still sat playing on the floor. The boy turned and stared at them with an absent gaze but didn't wave or even say hello, Stien smiled. He turned back to Crona. "i wont disguise it, my boy was born with autism. He's a good kid, and the home schooling that Marie and I put him through is making some progress." Crona nodded. "he's cute" she smiled and waved as he looked back over at them. "Maka dose some baby sitting for us when were away. She loves that boy like her own." he laughed "so, I cant afford to loos my baby sitter. Were gunna' get her back so don't worry. We'll address your wavelength detection problem after you have dinner." "i really shouldn't.." Crona said lowly. "what are you a vegetarian?" "no...why dose everyone keep saying that?"

(outside the Ester Finch manor, 2 Am)

the cool night air was damp but refreshing on Maka's ragged flesh, her haggard frame ached from toe to top with scrapes, cuts and light burns. Justin was not a fool, while he seemed to have a firm mental leash on his prisoner he knew she would run if she had the chance. Two armed elite guards guided her down the rocky path through the forest outside of the tall white stone walls and rod iron gates. Maka could smell the distinct salty air of the ocean and as the smell grew stronger so too did the sound of crashing waves of a distant and vast sea against cliffs now not so distant. She could see a clearing up ahead but a large building blocked the light of the stars. As they came ever near, clear of the trees she could make out its defining shape, its long Gothic spires, similar to the architecture of death city. The looming stone giant was settled just near the cliffs near the ocean, it radiated with a black glow against a night sky and cowering moon that averted its mad gaze. "this is the last monastery of Sanguine." Justin said wistfully. "it was the last ever built and the last refuge for dwindling followers of the blood god." he lead them through a court yard, complete with cobblestone grounds and a fountain, now only filled with rain water and leafs. "this land and this cathedral was bought by the Finch family in 1889, at the time the cathedral had not been part of the official land survey and had been derelict for many decades. Since then it has been kept as a closely guarded secret of the finch family, that is until recently, when the blood god itself called out to his true children." he stopped in front of a large wooden door covered with ancient rod iron and adorned with runes carved deep into the surface. "many hear the call, the bekonig of the blood god and the are drawn from far and wide, their dreams haunted and in their minds they hear whispers of a language they should not understand, a language that we all secretly want to understand. When they show up here we give them a home, we give hem family, in the ranks of our brotherhood and we make them the promise of a peaceful oblivion in a sea of blackness."

he turned and placed his hands flat on the wooden doors and pushed them open seemingly without moving his arms at all. The doors opened wide to the immense cathedral lit with an unnatural white glow, Maka could hear a sort of deep humming, like that made by a crowed but the cathedral was completely empty other than they. She felt herself pulled forward, the smell of copper and burnt toast filled her nose. There was a stain glass window in the back of the monastery but the glow was so bright now she could not see what this mosaic pattern depicted but she had to know, she took shaky steppes forward leaving Justin standing at the door watching as a smile spread across his face under his mask.

She stared up in terror and grief and horror and..joy, bafflement and utter speechlessness. She fell to her knees at the alter in front of the twenty foot tall stain glass window. So impossibly old but pristine and beautiful.

It was Crona, the large glass pieces and lead lines depicting her flawlessly, her pink hair in bright amethyst colored glass, every detail was captured and there was no mistaking it, it was her.

"it is beautiful isn't it." Justin said. "this window was crafted by the last followers of the blood god to depict his second coming. It predates even the earliest European and Spanish explorers in America." he looked down at her, she was completely still and silent, eyes cast up at the god before her. "you see? I'm not so full of shit after all am I?" he laughed. But Maka didn't hear a word. "and what now do you believe Crona to be?"


	18. Chapter 18

(from the author)

I'm almost done writing chapter twenty five and I'm going to be working on chapters 21-25 because those are going to be important. So stay tuned for updates and don't forget to comment.

This Has been Daniel Mathis? And hay, thanks.

(Doctor Stien's laboratory)

Marie's home cooking was without equal. It was hard to think how a four star meister and Former breach specialist of the GIGN national french counter terrorism unit, who later became teacher for children five to thirteen at the DWMA, could ever find the time to learn to cook like a master chef. Her son Ronny had eaten most of his food but had been distracted, she helped him feed himself while Stien gathered up dishes and placed them in the sink. "if you'll fallow me we'll get down to business, I know you must be eager." the others fallowed him a surprisingly short distance, Stien's Laboratory was under the first floor of the house but had many entrances and exits within, one of which was conveniently placed in the kitchen, so that science would not have to wait for him to long in case he had to eat dinner, take a piss or put his son to bed.

They fallowed him down a long flight of stairs into the basement. The laboratory appeared to be expansive beyond perceptibility, but really only had the same square footage as the rest of his home, only it was filled to the brim with scientific equipment, beakers and tube systems to rival Walter White's collection, papers and books stacked to the sealing and cages full of growling and hissing lab specimens of all manner. Crona hadn't been in that laboratory in a very long time, she remembered fondly, the extra lessons that stein gave her in the evenings. In those days it seemed like Doctor Stien and Marie were the only adults that really understood her, the only teachers at the academy that wanted to help. He offered her and the others a seat while he searched for some things that he needed. He came back with an arm load of trinkets and whats-its', setting them on a work bench, he slipped on a pair of gloves and placed a medical mask over his nose and mouth. "its time to take a blood sample!" he said with excitement. He held up a blood bag, and an IV tube. "oh..okay.." Crona hesitantly rolled up her sleeve.

They all became silent with varying levels of ether discomfort or fascination. The deep surgical scars on Crona's arm were highly visible to them all, in fact it seemed that a small chunk of flesh had been taken from the aria around her elbow. Crona removed her gloves as well, revealing her two missing finger nails. She presented her arm to him, there was a bright glare on Stien's glasses but the look on his face was peculiar, one that any of them had rarely seen before. She was just like him in a way, scars both surgical and mental. He quietly wrapped an elastic band around her arm and gave her a ball made of foam. "okay, I'm going to put the needle in, you might feel a small pinch, when the needles in I'm going to need you to squeeze that ball every few seconds to keep your blood flowing at a steady pace." Crona nodded. he softly took her wrist and gently brought the needle to the surface of her skin it barely grazed her when suddenly she jerked away, knocking the needle and the bag away. Stien shook his head in mild surprise. "did that hurt?" he asked. "NO!" Crona said a lot louder than she meant to. "no..i just, I'm sorry that was-, that was my fault I..i got scared that's all." Soul and Black*star glanced at one another. "you- you can try again and this time Ill try not to jump.." she braced her wrist tightly against her leg. "its okay Crona I understand." after picking up the bag he made eye contact with her. "your going to be fine." she nodded and looked away. Stien pressed the needle into her vain, she bit her lip, her bottom eye twitching with the sting. Soul and Black*star watched with interest, Stien put the bag low to the floor but still held onto it. A few seconds went by as a small string of black blood began filling the tube which slowly filled the bag. The bag suddenly shifted in Stien's hand, the black liquid inside bubbling intensely for a brief period. Soul leaned away with discomfort as the bag lurched one last time in Stien's hand seeming almost autonomous. "best not to get comfortable , the black blood is highly volatile." Soul nodded "right.." he stammered. "he means it's got an attitude." Black*star clarified. "correct, points for you Black*Star. The black Blood posses a will to survive within a host and to a certain extent, the cells can work as one organism in an act of self preservation. That is one of the factors of Crona's spectacular regeneration capability's." "her blood is alive?" soul asked. "to some degree." Stien said thinking of a way to explain it. "My blood only lives because i do." Crona interjected. "right." he nodded "its called sanguinary symbiosis, at one time before I removed the Demon Ragnarok from her body, he was in control of the blood, but he was mostly a parasite that fed on her power and her emotions. after he was destroyed the blood reverted to its natural state, the blood benefits her in ways but she pays a price others." Crona was starting to feel uncomfortable, she didn't like people talking about the black blood, she didn't want anyone to know how difficult it was at times, about the migraines and aching in her body and sickness that gripped her late at night. If her bipolar depression didn't scare people enough she sure as heck didn't want everyone to know that her blood was black, but she understood Stien was a man of science, and he couldn't keep all that science in his head. "all done Crona." he said, pulling the needle out of her arm. "sorry I don't have any candy to give you." he said, Crona smiled as she looked at the spot on her arm where the needle had been. Stien stood and immediatlie took the sample to his desk. He took the end of the tube still dripping a little bit of black fluid and squeezed a small amount of black blood into a specialized plexiglass specimen dish that he could seal tightly. He visually inspected the blood as it bubbled like boiling water inside the container. "hmm, just like I thought, it wants out." he placed it under a microscope and began to examine Crona's living blood at the atomic level. black*star stood over his shoulder.

"hold on, what dose her blood have to do with her ability to see souls?" Stien was silent, ignoring black*star. "it doesn't have anything to do with it dose it?" Stien looked up at him with no real concern. "back off pal I'm a scientist." he said blandly before turning back to the eyepiece of the microscope. "oh, no, I know whats wrong with Crona, I know why she cant see souls anyway, she has varying levels of damage that would take me to long to surmise but your problem with souls is that yours is broken." he said with an unemotional glance up. "I'm sorry to say but there's not much I can do for you." Crona stared back at him unsure if she should be afraid or angry or sad. She looked down at the floor. "it would take a lot of time for your soul to heal from whatever it is that they did to you. I can see now just looking at it that its been warped, possibly by black magic, or sorcery, by advanced technology, hard to say because all of those things are at the end of the day one in the same." the room was uncomfortably silent for a time until he spoke again. "however, I do believe I can help. , I understand there was a development that damaged your soul resonance with Maka?." Soul nodded. "yeah, she kicked me out and dumped me." Crona gave him a sideways look. "dumped?" she murmured quietly. "hmm, yeah that would probably do it." Stien said leaning on the back of his chair. "your soul is burdened heavily by whatever happened. I'm not one to judge but you appear to be keeping some unhealthy emotions packed in that spiky head of yours and I think it would be best for you to reconcile. In fact at this point, seeing as Spirit is still in the hospital, your the only one that could have a shot at locating Maka." soul looked at him and shook his head silently. "you have to face whatever it is happened, soul, it's the only way, even if its very difficult, the most difficult thing you've done in your life. Look at your past mistakes in the eye. Can you do that?" everyone looked at him. "are you strong enough to save your friend?" Stien asked leaning forward.

There was a bright flash. All in the room were struck with astonishment. Papers were blown about as in a whirlwind and a glowing figure appeared, kneeling on the ground surrounded by a great glowing blackness. The light lowered slightly in intensity only to the point that they could make out who exactly was manifesting in Stien's laboratory. It was Maka, sitting motionless and serenely, her mouth slightly agape, looking up at something, something that they could not see. "is it, a ghost?" Black*star asked. "oh my.." Stien leaned in closer. "an astral projection, right here in my laboratory..and wouldn't you know it I don't even have a camera.." "Maka!" Crona called out to her "Maka, its us!" but Maka was unresponsive. "she cant hear you, I don't think." Stien said regretfully. The gusts of wind became stronger and the lights brighter until everything became translucent and hard to see.

Crona could feel her body vibrating so strongly that as it intensified she felt as though she would be rattled to pieces, and perhaps, just for a split second she really was. The wind stopped, the light faded and the vibrating eased to a low rippel. She opened her eyes and she was no longer in Doctor Stien's laboratory. She was in the strange temple with Maka and Justin although she did not recognize him, the armed guards stood in the back, but Crona had no way of knowing that she had not only shifted to another destination that was possibly hundreds of miles away, she had traveled forward in time. She was floating somewhere around fifteen feet over the four people below her, everything around her was black and white. And then she saw herself, in the stain glass window the cathedral. Under her skin she felt her blood racing. she tried to float closer to Maka but she appeared to be drifting in a random pattern that was out of her control. She could hear Maka's voice, she heard fear and fatigue in her trembling voice. "she is my god." corona's eyes went wide with horror as she watched a tendril of black blood rise from the basin on the alter, and thrust it self at Maka, interning her mouth and crawling in like a snake into its home. Crona screamed. "Maka! No! No please!" she fought against the grip of whatever unknown force held her. She bit and screamed and cursed and spit all in mid air. The light slowly intensified but before she was blinded she saw Justin turn, he pointed upward at her. "the sanguinette reveals herself! Praise her!"

She gasped "nooo!" she screamed desperately "don't hurt her please!" Crona felt a solid impact on her face. She heard only her ears ringing and her own heart beating. Hands, she felt firm hands and arms restraining her against the cold floor. She began to breath heavily as she saw the faces of the others around her. Black*star rubbing his knuckles against his palm. "Jesus, black*star, you didn't have to hit her..." soul said wincing at the bruise already starting to form on Crona's cheek. "i calmed her down didn't I?" he replied with a shrug. "besides, you saw her, she was going all exorcism on us.." Crona laid still, here eyes bleary, she appeared paralyzed and despondent. Soul gave her a light shake by the shoulders. "what is she brain dead now?" Stien shrugged "probably in some from of shock, it'll pass." the others stood over Stien who tended to Crona. "you two should go home, ill keep Crona here for now, this is the safest place for her." he looked up at soul "i hope that you can go through with what we talked about." contact me when it is time to make our next move." the young men agreed. Few words were spoken as the left the house, they did not see anything Crona had but then even still the event unnerved them greatly. they stepped out of the warm home into the mindless night.


	19. Chapter 19

Maka's life may have been in danger but most of the young men and women that made up her rescue party had day jobs, they were all gearing up for her daring rescue of course, but lord death may have gotten suspicious if they all just called in sick at once. Kid however could take off whenever he wanted, as his fathers proxy he had that power, if he wanted to take lunch off to go bowling he didn't have to ask anyone and that was the cover story he used when he met Soul at the old Death Bucks coffee house.

The junior grim reaper and the drifting hipster sat in a booth alone in the cafe lit only by the midday sun. "where would you like to start?" kid asked, he asked in a way he thought typical of a therapist, he apologized profusely at the start, he was not a specialist, Tsubaki was the resident head shrink but she was still at work, kid wasn't always great with dealing with other peoples problems, he was hardly able to deal with his own. Soul rubbed his chin, then laid his hands flat on the table. "i don't know kid, maybe she was just right. Iv been living in the back of this place for two weeks now and I cant seem to make things any better for myself." "you've put in a job application yes?" kid asked. Soul nodded "yeah, its still awaiting approval." he let out a breath. "that's not going to be a problem..I'm ready to put on my big boy pants now i guise." Kid made a small smile "well, that's a step in the right direction." he said with a nod of support. "but how I got here." he paused. And looked out the window at the academy, looming on the Death City Sky line. "when I graduated, when I became a death scythe...i thought it would be different." Kid listened intently leaning forward. "i went my entire life wanting to be a Death Scythe so bad but at the end of it all, It wasn't what I thought it would be. And now that I'm older I cant even remember what it was I thought It would make me. It certainly didn't make me a better person. I thought I would be some sort of rock Star, or idol or something anything like that but it wasn't what I expected. At some point I sort of just fell down and I didn't feel like getting up, it just wasn't worth it. And that cost me my home, my relationship, my best friend." he took a breath and lowered his head "and that's my fault. It wasn't Stien telling me I needed to get this all off my chest, I knew the night Maka threw me out where I went wrong even if I was so mad that I wanted to burn that damn apartment to the ground. It was my fault." Kid nodded. They were both silent for a while until Kid spoke. "that was was brave of you soul." "yeah, wish I would have figured it all out before this." they both joined in for a round of staring at the Death city sky line. "its too late to be early soul, but not to late to be on time.."

(Franken Stien's Laboratory)

Crona hadn't said a word since the incident the night before, unwilling time travel has its way of tiring a person out. Witnessing her one love being hurt, possibly killed only made things worse. She still had no explanation for any of the things that happened or that she saw. When asked by Marie what exactly happened and what it meant, Stien who was home on his lunch break, replied with a shrug. "i don't know, just another weird night in the kids weird life." he looked through the kitchen doorway and across the hall to his living room, he saw his son playing in the floor where he usually was when his mother wasn't schooling him. He saw Crona standing behind him only a few feet away, her expression blank as she stood almost swaying but not quite, he watched curiously as Crona didn't seem to notice he was watching them. She approached the young boy and she sat down next to him. He leaned back in his chair to get a better look as he saw the two make eye contact, Ronnie looking up at her, he was..he was smiling, and so was Crona, just for a minute they were both smiling and the little boy laughed. "hi." he said.

Stien fell backwards in his chair In a clatter that disturbed Crona and Ronnie from their moment. Stien rubbed the back of his head as Marie rounded the table and helped him up. "whats wrong with you?" she asked while helping him up. "i- saw something just for a minute." he looked back but now Crona was looking away from his son and Ronnie went back to playing. "damn.." he said and wiped his brow. "lay off the coffee Franken." "yeah I guise." Stien said, and then he looked at Marie in the eye. "i think we both knew it, but were going to have to go soon. Spirit's been out of commission since he was shot, it wasn't all that serious but I took a look at him the other day and he's going to need two additional surgery's before he's ready for any kind of work, let alone combat. So we need you Marie. And were going to have to find someone to take care of Ronnie while were away." Marie nodded and thought for a moment. "yeah alright, I think we both know who to call." "the swordsmen? Mifune?" she nodded once more, he shrugged. "agreed, I couldn't think of anyone better. Give him a call..i know it will be hard for you but try to be as sweet a possible to him." she smiled and punched him softly in the shoulder, "I'm sure he'll help, no questions asked. Besides, little Angela will have someone to play with." Stien walked across the room and put on his 'Thursday' lab coat that had been laying on the back of his chair. "well I wouldn't exactly count on that, she's not so little anymore, hangs out with Blair allot these days." Marie started clearing the table and preparing for her son's next lesson "ohh..dear, that's no good.." "as much trouble as that woman gets into the problem will solve itself I'm sure." he came to her and held her close. "Franken.." she hissed and glared at him. "just being honest." they kissed and then parted. "bye hun." he said, Marie waved him offwith a smile.

(the Gallows hall)

A couple of hours after his meeting with soul Kid had gotten a message from his father requesting that he meet him. Even after all that was happening lord death was still his father and out of respect he showed up as fast a could. Lord death was never one to let small things upset him but it was obvious that something was bothering him. He stood looking out at the rolling abyss of clouds and graves that made his realm. "I'm starting to wonder if you friend Maka is really the disciplined meister that I toght she was." held his tongue, there was a whole lot that could have been said that would have blown the cover of his unauthorized mission. "why is that?" Kid asked , keeping complete monotone. Lord death still did not look in his direction "i sent her out on a mission nearly a week ago and she has not checked in. you know why I sent her out correct?" kid nodded "to look for the fugitive. Yes I know."

"i know when your ling to me child." he said. Kid's eyes opened a little wider. "Maka's car has been reported impounded and that a police report was filed fallowing the removal of a passenger, one pink haired, five foot six, white female with black and white eyes. No signs of the driver. Hospital records say that a young man from the DWMA checked her out of the hospital with warrant for her detention." he turned to him "did you honestly think that you could keep this from me forever?" kid looked up at him. "no." he said, not afraid, not with anticipation. "no. I knew you would find out. And I did it anyway." he said. "then you should explain yourself." kid looked forward with his even tempera gaze. "i was, and I will continue to protect my friend, Crona posses no threat to you or anyone." Lord death bristled, even though its hard to tell if he actually has any sort of hair at all. "you defy my order, I demand that she was brought to me immediately and instead you hid her away?" "because she doesn't deserve to be killed or imprisoned, Crona is my friend-" "son, I'm not going to kill her." kid looked up at him, there was a pause. "I'm not going to kill her or have her sent away again." "I'm sorry, but I'm not sure that I believe you. I know that you sold Crona to the asylum." lord death rolled his eyes, but again, its hard to tell if he even had eyes, and by the black holes in his mask it was assumed by most, that no, he did not, but he managed the gesture some how even if it was only a trick of movement and light. "i knew you would." he bobbed from side to side. Neither of us can keep secrets from one another forever, as it always has been." "i will admit, it was a mistake. We had our reasons at the time but, at that point none of us recognized her true significances." "that's' what I've been trying to figure out myself, what exactly do you mean?" "i did not know that there was anything particularly special abut her, but I have always known the people who are after her and who they serve, after the attack, when that black blood monster who calls himself Heinrich showed up here looking for her I finally understood for myself. I need to see Crona, I need to speak wit her to insure who's side she is on." "she's on our side, no question about that." "all the more reason for you to bring her here, she needs to know the truth. I understand the reasoning for your insubordinince but it may have cost us precious time, go son, and bring her to me." "wait, before I go, I have to tell you something." "then make it fast boy." lord death gestured him to hurry. "Maka was captured by the blood cult, we need to rescue her or I'm afraid they may use her against us." lord death grunted. "i see.. then go, I shall consider a plan of action."


	20. Chapter 20

(from the author) one thing, here's what, Iv started writing a sequel to this story already and at this point its still experimental, but hay that's how this story started out, and if i haven't mentioned it already this story was originally only supposed to last for four chapters, so excremental could mean anything, I'v got three chapters written so far and I'm excited to get it out there but it may be months before I'm ready to put it out. hay if you like this story then make sure to fallow it so you can be updated whenever i decide to put more of this junk on the internet, Id appreciate it. comments? questions? just want to say hi? feel free to comment or PM me.

This is Daniel Mathis, is it really me this time? yes I assure you. and hay, thanks.

Crona could feel the holy light of the Death realm radiating on her pale skin as she entered the gallows hall. She was joined by Kid, he was the only friend of Crona's that would be allowed into the meeting, he walked beside her trying to symmetrically match her steps out of habit. She could see the reaper hovering up ahead and he could see them, their eyes locked on each other in anticipation for what they did not know, until eventually they stood only feet from one another. There was silence, and Crona was..not afraid, she was not worried, did not feel a looming power over her perhaps as every other meister ever had, she strangely felt as though that she could stand eye to eye with death, but she did not know why, why was she not at least apprehensive? she could not explain the feeling and hadn't thought about it at that moment, she couldn't even remember being worried about meeting him in the first place, she simply was, in that moment, things were happening around her, a serial sensation of her body in action but she herself being only a spectator within it.

They stod silently, both figures in a mixed state of relaxation and expectation. Then lord death said something, it was strange and guttural, she had never heard the words before and yet she knew what he said. Even I, the narrator fail to describe them or even repeat them, their syllables and pronunciations unrepeatable, unreal, unfathomable. Her eyes began to spasm, body jerking and twitching in every direction, her lips forming words that had no sound, her teeth clinched tightly. Blood began to spill over from the corners of her eyes and dripped from her flaring nostrils, she bit down on her cheeks so tightly that blood began to pool in her mouth and spill down the corners of her thin lipped maw, streaking down her chin as kid looked on in speechless horror, he had made a terrible mistake, trusting his father and now Crona was very likely dieing in front of him, suffering a fate the likes of which he had yet never seen.

she stopped, she stood very still and quite and so did lord death. Kid took a step forward toward Crona, with a hand raised to offer help but not actually helping at all, hoping for a twitch, a breath, any sigh at all that she was okay. "why did you show me this?" she asked in a strange voice that seemed to echo, like one voice on top of another but spoken inside a tunnel, spoke in unison, she finally opened her eyes, now as black and endless as the reapers. "no I do not remember this person, I am not sanguine, I am Crona, I am now what I have always been, I am whatever I will to be next. And I have one goal only, to save Maka." "then perhaps there is hope for all of us." lord death closed his hands together. "I'm..sorry, but could you two pleas explain to me what just happened?" kid asked. "weren't you paying attention?" lord death asked. "yeah, it was all pretty clear." she said still with streams of black blood down her face. She turned back to lord death. "i don't want to be a god, or hurt ayone. I want Maka back and ill do anything bring her home." "you would deny the power to bend the world to your knee for one person?" without hesitation Crona nodded. "and she would do the same for me, she was ready to throw away everything to find me, now I will gladly do the same for her." lord death was pleased by her answer but he did not show it. "then you may return to death city. Ill grant you the resources needed to save Maka. But I'm keeping tabs on you, we will speak more on this later." she nodded. "I see, is that all then?" she asked turning half away from him, kid was completely taken aback my her bold demeanor, her lack of grace, what in the world had gotten into her? And even stranger lord death did not appear to mind that she blatantly shrugged him off like a peer she was giving the cold shoulder. "don't underestimate your followers sanguinette, they have survived this long for a reason." "they aren't my followers, I am not some dead god." she said, unaware that her shadow, cast behind her by the sun, now had large wings that were no where to bee seen on her body. She turned way. "let's go Kid." she said turning away. without dispute kid fallowed, he didn't say a word.

he followed her the entire way, his eyes locked on the back of her head expecting her to turn around and say something at any moment but she never did and he was growing more disturbed about what happened by the moment, they stepped outside of the death realm and kid raised a finger. "Crona, just what in the hell was that? What has gotten into you?" "huh?" Crona turned to him, and there was not a trace of blood on her face, she looked at him with confused eyes as if she had no idea what he was talking about. "are you mad Crona? my father could..." he let out a breath, his shoulders slacked. "you don't remember a single thing that happened back there do you?" he looked at her with the tired and confused eyes of a man on a roller coaster of anxiety. "i had a conversation with lord death right? I feel like It went well. It did right?" "you don't remember a thing he said?" Crona put a hand to her lip as if she were trying to grasp at a faint memory. "it did go well didn't it?" she asked again. He shook his head "lets move on then."

(earlier that morning, at finch manor)

Steve the intern always made the coffee right, using hateful thoughts and crushing each coffee bean one at a time with a hammer then boiling the grounds in a pot until it was six hundred digress centigrade, Finch liked his coffee like he like his nights, black, sleepless and hot as the blazing bowels of the earth. it was time consuming, but that's the way Ester's father taught him how to make coffee and that was the way his father had showed him and so on and so forth. He missed Steve, mostly he missed the way he made coffee, the Blood guards used one of those confounded coffee machines with its lights and whistles. He sat in his usual spot which was always to close to the fireplace, one could tell because the left side of his chair was dried and scorched by flame. He took a sip and gagged, it wasn't hot enough and he could barely taste any hatred at all, he tossed the mug and all into the fire and huddled close as the coffee evaporated in the open flames. Heinrich and Justin entered. "gentlemen." he nodded to them. " we have wondrous news!" Justin proclaimed proudly. "well spit it out then." the old man said wiping sweat off of his forehead, he cursed at the sweat and at his body's feeble attempt at cooling him down. "i brought dearest Maka to the temple last night, it was a truly joyous event, she found her faith in sanguine and the black blood stored in the alter took to her body." finch was glad to hear the news but wished that Justin would just shut up. He never really like the boy but he was technically superior in the blood cult hierarchy. "excellent.." finch nodded. "there was also a spectral event, after Maka had fallen unconscious we could see a translucent figure of the sanguinette very briefly. I believe that this is a sign of her emanate arrival and we should finish preparations posthaste." "make it so." finch said. Heinrich stepped forward. "finch, if you would, it is time I show you something." finch shifted in his seat. "what is it?" "come I will show you." the commissar motioned with his gloved hand. "Justin, be sure that Maka is settling in well. I will not have her in discomfort or wanting." "consider it done commissar." Justin turned on his heels and frolicked away, Ester hobbled toward Heinrich. "lets get this over with yeah, its to cold outside to be dicking around."

they moved about as fast as esters decrepit pace would allow them, they rode the elevator to the top floor and Heinrich took him to the balcony. Finch stood propped on his Cain and against the stone guard around the ledge, surveying his land stretched out in front of them in the morning sun. "it is almost complete mein friend." Heinrich said from behind, leaning against the door. "it better be worth it." finch said in a low gravely tone. "and I better get a god damn decent cup of coffee when this is all said and done." Heinrich laughed, "of course, anything you want." "what did you have to show me?" "i wanted to show you were we will be building a new settlement, I believe once the sanguinette has truly awoken we will have more to join our ranks then we ever imagined. I was thinking over there.." he stood behind and to the side of Ester, pressing himself oddly close and pointing to a spot in the distance. "as good of a spot as any-" he gasped suddenly as he was firmly shoved, he began to topple over the side of the balcony. He caught himself with one hand against the brick half wall, Heinrich and Finch met eyes but neither of them said a word. Heinrich raised his foot and stomped Finche's fingers until his grasp failed and he plummeted to the stone driveway below.

Heinrich casually looked over the ledge to see his broken body below as dark red blood began to seep outward. He turned "i wonder what will be for lunch.." he pondered to himself as he walked way from the scene of his comrades murder.

(that evening, on the Roof of Death Bucks Cafe)

the three were completely silent as soul stood a few feet from the ledge, Black*star and Tsubaki looked on with anticipation and concern. "well?" black*star leaned his head forward, somewhat expectantly. "would you hold on a minute?" soul said in irritation, squeezing his eyes tighter under the assumption that would help him concentrate. He rubbed his temples and made a noise almost like humming but more like a closed yawn. Closing in on a particular soul was challenging as there were so many around him already, the situation was almost akin to closing out every other soul in the world and focusing on one, but Soul had not not done this in a while and Soul Eaters are not exactly best for the task but his familiarity with Maka made him the best possible man for the job given the unlucky circumstances "i think.." he paused, the others looked up hopefully, Tsubaki stood up clutching her hands together. "yeah, that's her." "you see her? That's great!" Soul's shoulders sagged. "uh..hold on guys, somethings wrong..really wrong." he said, his bottom lip drew upward. "what is it?" Black*Star took a few steps forward and stood beside him. "oh, oh no.." soul opened his eyes. "what? Tell us!" "dude, its weird, I have no idea what I'm looking at..but its probably bad news..I see her soul, it seems just fine but-" "but what?" he shook his head "chains? Black chains over her soul, what dose that mean? That means something right?" "black chains?" Tsubaki lowered her head in thought. "i think I remember...something about that..black chains..."she said trying to remember. "we'll figure it out.." Black*star said trying to assure himself. "we can see what the professor has to say about it."


	21. Chapter 21

Hay guys, I decided to post early today, right now Im really sick and Im not on top of my game so we apologize if there are more errors than usual...but wont really do anything about it..enough of my wining. Pleas enjoy, fave and subscribe, leave a comment if you wish and I will...presumably, given that I have any strength at all in this fragile human carcass, will return, better, worse..

This really is Daniel Mathis, and I am going to be fine..probably.

(at the Death Bucks Cafe)

A small mouse scurried around under the tables in the Cafe, it would soon be time to make it's way back to the burrow in the back room that it called home, it searched for crumbs left by the messy humans that stomped around its little world, it had a good nibble on a pizza crust and was ready for a good nights sleep with its rodent family. It would make one more pass under the tables to make sure it didn't miss any yummy bits left unclaimed. But something felt wrong, a feeling that hadent sat well the entire evening, it felt eyes on its tiny skittering body but it was unlike the hard stares of those volatile humans that would scream or try and smash it with a shoe or something, shoes did make excellent burrows by the way. The gaze that it felt was cold, and malicious. The mouse finally saw them as it passed by a dark crevasse under one of the booth seats, in all it inner city rodent life it had never seen eyes like this, they glowed, and if that rodent could have seen colors or understood the concept of colors, then it would have noticed they glowed a particular yellow hue. It was marvels, perhaps the owner of these eyes wanted to be friend's. It came closer, it said..well it said nothing, because its a rodent, what were you hoping for? It came closer until its eyes adjusted. "Oh my." it would have possibly said if it could have spoken "and what are you?" it conceivably would have inquired. The long slender rope like body with scales so marvelously slick and handsome. It came closer, oh so curios.

It felt pane boom though its body as panic set it, it felt suddenly fire in its veins and just as quickly it ceased to feel anything at all. Its small beating heart stopped. And within seconds began a slow decent int the jaws of a serpent.

The snake crawled up onto a seat where Crona's shoulder bag was laying, the sun had been shining there for hours and so it found its comfy resting spot on top, waiting for Crona to return...

At four o'clock that afternoon the minute of the last bell at the DWMA kid sent out a message to the entire gang, they were to meet at Death Bucks, patty liz and kid along with Tsubaki left the DWMA together and they met up with Black Star, waiting on the corner down the street from the radio station where he had been working as an intern. A large gray truck passed by them on the road, blowing its horn at them as it did. "there's our ride, look's like Stien is ahead of schedule, I wonder how he pulled that one off." they walked few more blocks down the street to find Marie and Stien and Crona waiting for them having left Ronnie in the care of Mifune.

"what the heck is this thing?" Black*star asked, looking up at the gigantic beast that Stien So proudly parked on the curb. Its wheels were the size of a small child and it was likely by the sound of the engine that it used children as fuel as well, it was diesel fueled actually but it growled like a hungry basilisk lurked under the bonnet. Stien smirked and shuffled his shoulders smugly under his lab coat. "This is my beuty, my flame, my muse..." he said proudly, Marie gave him a hallow glare. "oh...you mean the truck?" he said.."i thought you meant my lovely gorgeous wife who I love..." Marie shook her head in disapproval "nice save Franken." Stien avoided meeting her scornful one eyed gaze. "this is a Mercedes Unimogi, a piece of my childhood, you see, i was raised in east Germany during the cold war, and these were the choice vehicle for east German forces, favored for their massive size, perfect for carrying men or equipment, its power is raw, a determined juggernaut that will iron a path through any forest leaving decimation under its tires...it's...well its fun to just drive around the block, you haven't experienced a drive through until you roll through in a behemoth like this. I grew up watching them rumble through the Streets of East Berlin, even if I hated living in that place I always wanted one of these trucks for myself." "where did you even find something like this?" Tsubaki asked. "E-bay." stien shrugged. He looked down and bristled with horror, seeing that one of his tires had been scuffed on the curb. He began to feverishly inspect the damage , his face inches from the tire. "right..." kid turned "lets not waist any more time, lady's and gents if you would all be so kind.." he gestured to the door of the Cafe.

"okay, pack it up people. This is it, were moving out tonight, were going to get soul to lead us out three kilometers from the target, when we arrive Black*star and Tsubaki will conduct recon" Soul helped patty and Liz with some duffel bags and supplies. Crona grabbed up her shoulder bag and sword, she had almost forgotten about the snake. She picked it up gently from inside the bag. "i think maybe you should stay here, your all that's left of my mother, I don't want you to be hurt." the snake hissed furiously as it neared the threshold of the bag. Crona grimaced with a twinge of fear, knowing its venomous bight would really ruin her day. "oh, okay..putting you back now.." she lowered it back into the bag and closed it.

The unimog was at its heart a military vehicle and was not at all pleasant to ride in, Stien had configured some padded seats but they weren't too generous in the way of comfort due to the stiff angle of the roof and walls, with seven passengers in the back along with gear, they were pushing the limits of comfort but they had weathered worse, soul sat up front with Stien, being he now had a bead on Maka it would be up to him to help navigate.

The ride was exhausting, getting out of the city was hard enough as most of the cobble stone streets aren't meant for vehicles, let alone of that size, there were only a hand full of roads that could be traversed in the titan and they were chocked at all hours of the day until night when the traffic slowly dissipated. But eventually they made it out and headed for rout eight hundred north, north bound from Death city and the greater Night Vale aria (which was to the south of death City) toward Desert Bluffs, but that town was dreadful and they would not be stopping there for any reason, the target aria was far beyond that horrible, terrible cesspool of a town with such an awful name, the town which we will all no longer speak of...

(Desert Bluffs...*spits on the ground*)

At some point in the ride, crona had almost fallen asleep, but she lay slumped against the metal shell separating her from the night, thinking of the events yet to come, she knew very well what the chains in souls vision meant, for they once bound Crona's own soul to the demon Ragnarok that dominated her life as a child, what now had they done to Maka? And would she be able to save her? She blinked herself into awareness, now feeling extra weight on her shoulder. Patty was laying against Crona's arm, fast asleep. Crona shifted, almost wishing that Patty would awake and reposition but she did not stir. In truth, patty was not asleep at all. Through the night they left the Deserts of Death Valley behind for fields and pastures and soon they happened upon thick green forests of pine trees and ceders. Soul shifted in his seat, Stien had been keeping him awake the whole night, telling him a few ghost stories just to rattle his nerves a little. "how far away are we now?" Stien asked, turning the bolt in his head. "Im not sure, its hard to tell." "okay, how long do you think it would take to get there?" soul thought, "uh, maybe two hours? That's just a guise, were getting close." he assured stein "tell me when we get close enough to faintly feel her presence, we don't want to roll right into their camp but within walking distance." soul nodded "okay, ill give it a shot." he leaned back in his seat and tried to focus.

(the next morning at the ester Finch manor)

Justin balanced a silver tray in his hand, holding a cup of milk, toast, and eggs, careful not to spill a drop, he shuffled at a hurried pace down the hall and stopped in front of a door at the end, he knocked and waited for a reply. "come in." came a soft youthful voice. Justin opned the door and walked in, he sat the tray on a table and looked toward the window where maka stood staring out into the cort yard where the men below marched. Where a day before, Ester Finch lay dead. Maka was waring a black dress, and her eyes were now a shade darker than obsidian. She grinned at the nice day outside, at justin at everything, so wonderful everything was. "i think were going to have visitors soon." she said wistfully. "will we?" Justin asked intrigued and most excited. Maka nodded. "Crona is coming, I can feel her now. And others, oh she has friends with her.." she trailed off. "i can see them all, oh there's kid, and Stien...and..and Soul.." she trailed off, her grin becoming wider and more malicious, there were satins of black blood between her teeth. "we will greet them accordingly." Justin said, silently gesturing to a guard that was standing in the doorway to ready the troops. Justin came forward and stood next to Maka by the window. "will you tell me again what it will be like when crona gets here?" "of course dear, the sun will fall from the sky and the oceans will turn to coal dust, blood read streaks of lightning will clash in the sky. The sanguinette will give you the moon and the void and all of the stars, that will all be yours as long as you are hers." Maka smiled and smiled...she took a deep breath. "it sounds so perfect." Justin nodded "i couldn't agree more." he turned "now, have your breakfast, I have business to attend to."

"lets eat Blondie im fucking starving!" came a small grouchy voice. A black mass with a head, torso and two arms emerged from Maka's' shoulder, its over sized eyes glared at the nice day outside. He sneered. "come on get away from the window the sun is roasting me!" he wined. "okay Ragnarok, we can eat now." Maka smiled ignoring his negativity as he pulled at her hair. "eggs?! I hate eggs! I told that pedophile looking mother fucker I wanted steak!" "wow, your fussy this morning, you better cheer up before Crona arrives or your going to spoil all the fun." she said offering him a fork, which he swatted from her hand, he grabbed he plate and tilted it to his gullet, sliding toast, eggs milk and all down his slimy maw. "i really dont give a damn, okay? That little squirt got me Kicked out of his body and sent back to hell! Do you know what kind of an ass chewing I got from Satan for running away from hell in the first place?" "well your just a real spoilsport you know that?" she crossed her arms "whatever, you people are killing me, I wish Justin would have left me in the fire." "you know what Ragnarok? You sound just like I did before Justin showed me the way in life." she laughed, "ms, frowny face I would have called myself back then." she sighed fondly "i remember the times in the basement when Justin would hold a blowtorch to my back and I would scream and bight, my throat parched like the desert floor, blood drips on the sealing, that wretched red blood that filled my unwashed husk.." she smiled even harder. "thanks for helping me remember all those happy times Ragnarok, I love you." she hugged him." he squirmed and punched at her. "god damn, leave me alone you insufferable bitch!" she giggled at him "not until you cheer up! not a chance!"

(outside that room)

Justin spoke over Heinrich's shoulder, his hand firmly gripping his arm. "prepare yourself brother, the sanguinette approaches...)


	22. Chapter 22

(from the author)

I'm feeling much better this week so maybe the quality of this story will improve (yeah right). The next few chapters will be critical so I may take next week to make sure everything is as in order and the way I more or less envision it all. If you like this story pleas comment and subscribe, that would be awesome. The support of my readers makes this whole thing worth while.

This had been Daniel Mathis, is it really? Yes. And hay, thanks.

(in the forest of Finch Manor )

"That is one ugly house." Black*star muttered as he looked through his binoculars. Tsubaki nodded in agreement, "painted brick? What were they thinking?" they sat in a large oak tree they had made into a covered observation nest where they had been watching for half an hour. "okay I see movement, looks like they made some makeshift sniper towers. There's a guy with a black balaclava and a red beret, he's got a rifle, looks like a Dragnov knock off." Tsubaki took that down on her notes. "I cant see over the walls." he said "we have trucks approaching from the eastern road, painted black." Tsubaki pointed. "their letting them pass the gates." she confirmed. "did they even stop the driver at the gate?" he asked a bit surprised. "Tsubaki shook he head, let them right in." "idiots." he whispered. "okay, lets change position." they began to gather their things to move when there was a rustle in the foliage down below.

"hold on Tim, I gotta take a leak." they heard a shout. The two young ninjas hushed themselves as an armed soldier emerged from the bushes, clad in black, he came right up to the tree and unzipped his pants and began to relive himself, he was so close that Tsubaki could smell he after shave, after sixty seconds and a quick shake he zipped up and walked away without the slightest idea that just above him two assassins lurked.

The soldier returned to his group, another soldier and one of the masked assassins. The hound assassin twitched and sniffed the air. "the hound is acting weird, I think he smells something." "well I just peed over there, that's probably got him screwed up." the other soldier seemed to consider this, all the wile being stalked by Tsubaki and Back Star. "yeah, your probably right." the cheep radio in the conscripts pocket suddenly buzzed to life startling the men slightly by its shrill racket. "be advised men, intruders have been detected, we are now on high alert." the two soldiers looked at each other and then all around. "did you feel that?" "yeah, like..eyes? Like being watched?" the other replied "yeah."

behind them the hound dropped like a stone, a shurokin sunken deep into its temple. The other two turned unsuspecting. "oh shit!" black star dropped on top of one of the men, stabbing him in the back of the head, piercing his brain and causing instant death, the other guard turned to run only to have his throat slashed, as he stumbled forward Tsubaki flipped him over her shoulder onto his back.

Tsubaki and black*star pulled their body's deep into the forest and stashed their clothes, gear and guns. They moved on, they would have to be careful and mind their narrowing time window, those guards would need to check in at some point and if they didn't the alert of the enemy would eventually be raised.

The two happened across the cathedral, but did not approach it. They noted it's strange aura, noting the faint stench of blood in the air which had no visible sorce. On that clear sunny day the wind whistled in the trees carrying offkey tones on the breeze, sounds shrill yet distant like a band of unpracticed angels pissing around with flutes somewhere in the vast open sky over the ocean. The waves beat against the cliffs waging an eternal battle against an unmoving stone barrier. Tsubaki wished that they were there for other reasons, that she could sit on the craggy edge of the something and look out onto the pail blue nothing, even for just an afternoon. They didn't stick around long, they made a few notes and retunred to their camp.

(back at the camp)

The camp had been made with stealth in mind, kid wouldn't allow a fire because it would draw attention, the inside of the Unimog had electricity from a battery powered by a small portable solar panel. Camouflaged netting was draped over the camp to create a canopy, helping to prevent airborne detection. Crona sat alone, sharpening her sword. Beside her the snake slithered out of her bag and crawled around the stump that she was sitting on, she paid it no mind as it slithered across her lap and up her back. She tilted her head and looked at it with bafflement as it appeared to be making its way down her arm to her hand. She stopped what she was doing as it attempted to crawl up her sleeve. "do you mind?" she asked trying to pull it away but it put up a stiff resistance and she decided to just let it do its thing, she felt it stir around for a moment until it coiled itself around her arm, strangely it became rather stiff but also weightless, as if all of its mass was now made of a thick rubber, it didn't move at all. Crona continued to sharpen her blade, if that's where it wanted to be, who was she to move it out of its comfort zone?

"i didn't know you were so good with animals Crona." patty said suddenly standing near her, startling Crona, she almost cut herself, not like it would have mattered, but it would've still hurt. Crona settled back down. "what can I say? I am my mothers child.." she trailed off. "whacha doin?" "I'm getting ready, I don't have a soul eater, this is all I have." "maybe you can find a new partner." she shifted a bit uncomfortably "i don know patty, I don't think I want another soul eater, not after Ragnarok, I hurt too many people with him." "but Ragnarok was a jerk, maybe you can find someone nice." "like who?" Crona asked putting her sword down. "well...like me." she pointed at herself and grinned extra wide. Crona smiled politely back at her. "that's nice of you to offer patty...ill keep that in mind." she would keep that in mind, she would keep in mind that patty offered, but without any intentions of excepting her offer. "okay!" patty seemed more than pleased with the answer, she skipped away. Soul wasn't the only one who hadn't changed sense school, patty was twenty two years old now and she still acted the same way she did when she was a student, but know one really minded that, at least she was polite and active in the community, a junior councilor of the Death City chapter of the Girl Scouts of America who spent a few weekends picketing at rally's for PETW, People for the Ethical Treatment of Witches and sometimes filled the oversized shoes of a clown for the DWMA street carnival. Crona knew none of these things about patty, she would have felt the same way about her if she did, that patty was her friend, just her friend, maybe a really good one at the most, and the fact that she could tie knots and make balloon animals didn't do much to change that.

Coming up with a plan to assault a millionaires stronghold wasn't as stylish as it would have appeared in any movies, they didn't have a computer with complex graphics and layouts of the building, or 3D aerial renderings. Mostly they just sat around in the wood's with a few grainy photos, a crude drawing on some notebook paper and quite a bit of speculation on everything from how may soldiers were behind that wall and how they were armed. This was sometimes how Kid planned the operations he lead, but not always, many times he had weeks or even months to clearly consider a course of action and formulate a flawless plan, today he did not. Here were the facts, Maka needed to be rescued first and foremost, she was top priority. The second was that the enemy was anticipating them even now, that they had already been detected and that they knew Kid's band of meisters were lurking about. The odds were not particularly favorable, a raid like this would often consist of support from a small company of infantry type forces, artillery, light air superiority, all of which they had exactly jack shit. On top of that they had a hostage, and who was to say if they just happened to storm the compound that they wouldn't just kill Maka. It all had to be handled carefully. There would be no way of getting inside without being noticed eventually, being that their abnormal soul wavelengths could be distinguished from every other person in that compound it came down to getting inside and getting as close to the target as they could before before they were noticed and everything got nasty.

"here's an idea" Black*star laid his hand down on the log they were using as a table. "their trucks are black, so why don't we paint up Stien's van and use the uniforms we hid?" kid seemed skeptical. "we don't know whats on the other side of that wall, there could be a security checkpoint inside and if we get caught then were sitting ducks." "true, but knocking on the front door isn't an option." kid nodded. "then what do you suggest." Tsubaki seemed to mull an idea over and then said "we have a driver and a passenger up front, dressed as soldiers, the rest of us will pose as prisoners, and once a signal is given we'll start our assault." kid nodded "that seems reasonable. He motioned Stien over to discuss the plan further.

soul watched patty walk away from Crona, he had been avoiding approaching her about something he had on his mind but seeing the way that patty had been looking at Crona lately he figured it would be a good opportunity. He strolled over and sort of hovered behind her until he could come up with the words he wanted, she looked over her shoulder at him and he looked away awkwardly, he was not at all prepared for this conversation. "hay, so this is all really about to happen huh.." he started. Crona nodded. "yeah, I'm nervous." she said honestly. "me too. I'm sure you'll do fine." "thanks." she said trying to smile. "after everything that happened between me and maka I was hoping that I could redeem myself to her. I probably wont be a lot of use when the shit goes down. But after its all over I hope that..well I hope that she'll come back to me." "i know, you two were partners, a soul eater and meister breaking their bond is a sad thing, in most cases anyway." he nodded in agreement. "yeah, for sure. But I mean I want her back. Do you know what I mean?" Crona stiffened her back and blinked, she looked up at him, her brow twitched slightly and unintentionally. "oh...you don't say." soul took an uncontentious step back "yeah. She's my girl, we been together sense school. I wanna do better, and...i..." he trailed off, seeing Crona's eye's become unnaturally wide but saying nothing at all. "but I mean, you know that's all up to her!" he waved his hands in front of himself. "i mean she might not be interested in anyone, and like I know how you feel about her and all but I mean Maka.. I'm pretty sure she isn't into girls, I'm just saying." Crona stood, a full head higher and looked down at the young man, her neck bent slightly and her arms swinging loosely as her hands twitched at her side. He turned away. "I'm..just gunna' let you think about that." he said in a playful tone to hide his fear. it would have been an opportune time to strike, you never turn your back on someone giving you that kind of look, and yet he felt no pain, he took a step forward expecting to be blitzed at any moment but nothing came. He looked over his shoulder, the only thing that would have been more terrifying than to find her looming over him would be to not find her looming over him at all, and that was exactly what he found, she had sat back down, sifting through her belongings, seemingly without any concern for him at all. And yet here he stood only a couple of feet away, back turned, his heart racing. And wouldn't you know it, he couldn't figure out exactly what he had done wrong. Crona looked back at him after picking her knife back up, she began to casually sharpen the blade. "soul, I don't have a problem with you. I don't want to make one. If Maka really wants you back after this then that will be what happens. But I wont give away my chance to be with her. You can rest assured that once I have her with me I will have no plans of letting go." he kept eye contact with her over his shoulder for a moment and then walked away.


	23. Chapter 23

(from the author)

This is Daniel Mathis and let me tell you, I am nervous about these next few chapters, we only have a handful left, that's right, in a few weeks this will be a finished story, but there is more from this series to come. The next story like this one will have some tie-ins with Welcome to Night Vale, if you don't know what Welcome to Night Vale is then oh my god's go listen to it, the podcast I mean, go listen, its amazing, and for me, somewhat life changing, and it is the biggest inspiration to this fanfition, you can listen to it on any podcast website you prefer (I like Podbay) just search the title. I may also be doing a Soul Eater Welcome to Night Vale crossover but I'm not sure I want to take it that far...who am I kidding their my two favorite things of course I want to to go that far. That the news, fanfiction, podcast, done.

And like Joseph Fink always says, Hay thanks.

(in the Finch Manor forest)

The next morning after a sleepless night for all, the time for final preparations was at hand, after a lengthy briefing They all stood in a line facing one direction as kid inspected them one by one, if they were going to pose as prisoners to get though the front gates then it would be important to look the part, he passed by soul and looked him over, grabbing some dirt at their feet, soul spat as he smeared a hand full on his face and on his jacket. Next he came to patty and ripped her blouse, she smacked him on the back of the head as he walked forward, he stumbled into Liz who growled at him and he dared not repeat what he did to her sister. He kept going until he reached the end of the line where he removed his own silver cufflinks from his sleeves and his golden watch from his wrist, it seemed to cause him emotional pane to rub his dirty hands into his perfect hair ruining its symmetrical beauty. In a sort of solidarity the others fallowed his example, scuffing their shoes and removing their valuables and such. The ruse was not at all foolproof by now but It was a start anyway.

Meanwhile Black*Star and Tsubaki finished with the final paint detailing of the van. The hardest part up to this point had been convincing Stine to let them paint what he would consider as his second child with dollar store off brand spray paint they had bought the night before from a farmers market in the middle of nowhere, but kid offered to have it sand blasted and repainted if the operation was successful, he reluctantly agreed, actually he didn't wholly agree at all, but they did it regardless, if the operation wasn't successful it wouldn't matter anyway. The paint job was dreadful but convincing at least. Stien bristled with terror, the sight of such a shoddy work of his comrades, rending his soul like a hunk of meat in a grinder. He fell to his knees and wept, he had to be dragged away from his befouled chariot. He vowed that such a sacrifice as his beloved unimog would not go unreciprocated, he would have vengeance.

After Stien was suitably consoled by Marie they worked on their end of preparations, they had shed their clothing and adorned the black BDU's and molle gear that made the blood cult conscript uniform. As the oldest of the group they looked convincing enough, most of the black blood soldiers had just been normal people after all. their eyes were hidden with black sunglasses (Marie having removed and hidden her eye patch of course) and they used a small portion of coals and black face paint to slightly darken some of their facial features to emulate a those having been infected long term like Crona, Crona put away her robes and took up the awkward leather Armour standard for the masked hound assassin's, she incorporated a hood procured from Black*stars jacket to hide her her bright telltale hair color, under her sleeve the snake still remained, wrapped in a solid state around her arm, it dident apear to be alive and she couldn't figure out how to get it off, but it wassent hardly visible at least not from a couple of feet away. Truth be told, if she were in a group of them she wouldn't likely stick out at all.

Using rope that Black*star had packed for repelling they created fake bindings, on inspection they could pass for professionally tied restraints but they could slip of like gloves at the moment that they needed. Stien and Marie helped fit their staged prisoners with the fake bindings, slipping them over their wrists behind their backs. And they all took their seats in the back of the van. Where they sure that any of this was going to work? That they would even get past the gate before being shot at? Of course not, and they were prepared to deal with that, the further they could get without violence the better, but it was inevitable, that unavoidble moment where all comes undone, when all becomes chaotic and hard to see..

"were going to have to get a feel for the situation once were inside." Kid announced as the engine sputtered to life. "we all know the plan if things go wrong, ill call for maneuver 'wounded knee'" and we'll go hot immediately. Until i give the signal we are all to maintain the allusion." he stiffened taking the power stance even in his uncomfortable bindings. "if you have anything to say then say it now, this is it, when we reach the road there is no turning back." there were glances around, but there were no comments. "then good luck everyone, lets bring Maka home."

Stien drove from the secluded spot in the woods fallowing his old tracks to the paved road where he drove up the shoulder and assumed an inconspicuous speed. Crona clinched her leather covered fists tightly breathing uncomfortably through the filter of the gas mask that had gone bad possibly decades ago. Marie smiled at her, seeing her reflection in the plastic lenses, she couldn't see anything but Crona's eyes but she assumed that she was smiling back. They passed a couple of the black transport trucks, both only half full but headed god's know where. They could see the white walls where the snipers were posted, they watched them pass but not with any notable interest. Stien slowed as he neared the gate. One of the men sauntered over, his rifle slung on his shoulder, smoking a cigaret. Stien wasn't surprised to find that his eyes were black. "and just what exactly are you driving?" he asked. "it's a new, prisoner retention vehicle." Stien said, casually adjusting the mirror. "it came in about a week ago, we been keeping it in a lot in the wood's." the operators nose twitched. "smells like the paint isn't even dry." "it was overhauled yesterday, it was more rust than metal." the operator scribbled something on a clip board. "okay, go on through." he returned to his post and pressed a button, opening the gate remotely, Stien drove through. "he seemed nice." Marie said, Stien nodded "yep...almost a shame he's probably going' die." "Stien!" she scolded him, stien shrugged "what? Its not like we know him." marie rolled her eye.

The defenses were pretty solid inside the walls, between snipers and a couple of MG nests on the grand staircase, there were sentry's walking the perimeter with attack dogs. Most of the vehicles were parked to the side where a few other conscripts loaded and unloaded massive amounts of equipment in wooden crates and barrels. "looks like someone has some fun plans for the future, all this artillery isn't cheep and it looks like they plan on arming a large force." Marie said observing the men and women hard at work as they rolled by. Stine eased to the van to a stop. He seemed relaxed as he unbuckled his seat belt "play it nice and cool everyone." he opened the door and climbed out, as did Marie and Crona. Stien strolled over to an officer, or he assumed that the man was some sort of officer because he was holding a clipboard and didn't appear to be lifting a finger to help his comrades with back breaking labor, a fair assumption, considering Stien had no record of military service, genuine or pseudo. "we have prisoners." he said somewhat casually. The conscript looked at him with disgust "is that how you address a superior you jackass?" stien shrugged "of course sir, apologies, this isn't my usual duty so I'm inquiring what I'm supposed to do with these prisoners." he gestured to the others whom Marie began to push one at a time out of the back of the van, each of them falling to the pavement or on topof another, piling up as they struggled tho their feet. Marie glowered at them to really sell her act as an angry militant. "take them to processing." the officer said, not so much as looking up from his clipboard. "and where is that?" he asked. "for god's sake man, inside, quit wasting my time." stien said nothing and walked by him he guided the group although he had no clue where he was headed, they all pretended not to notice Black*star and Tsubaki discretely peel from the group and sneak away although that was not part of the plan, but they couldn't stop him and Tsubaki was only fallowing her meister. Stien lead them up to the entrance having been unable to fin anywhere else to go. The guards gave them suspicious glances as they entered through the front doors, there wasn't much to show it but Marie had a feeling that their plan was about to fall apart.

Inside Heinrich stood, expectantly and stone faced. Stien and Marie ushered their "prisoners" into a single file line, Heinrich stared at them almost confused or maybe entertained, he smiled. Was that a smile? He lips turned up like a wolf snarling, black specks of blood between his teeth.

"i see, are these my dinner guests?" he looked between Stien and Marie, whom had no reply. "You have five seconds to tell me why these filthy animals are in my fortress." "your fortress?" kid asked, Heinrich glared at him. "how dare you speak out of turn, you mortal trash." "okay, great, I wanted to make sure you were the one in charge here, will my room be near the pool or the balcony? I wont settle for anything less than a full garden view, also I require room service, is that doable?" Kid teased only encouraged by Heinrich's steaming expression. Patty leaned over to him. "kid, I think you making pants upset." she gasped with delight, she turned faceing him. "Look at his face, he looks like boiled lobster!" she laughed and heckled him in a child like manner, Heinrich gritted his teeth, raising his rage trembled hand to his sidearm tucked under his shoulder. "how, marvelous!" a voice echoed through the chamber. Heinrich sill snarled, but they all shifted their gaze up and behind them, on the second floor overlooking the lobby Justin stood next to a face they all recognized. Maka smiled and waved at them. "hi guy's, you all came to visit with Crona too? That so great!" she said. Stien turned to Marie. "this was a really stupid plan." he turned back to Maka, black blood soldiers and assassins began to poor in from all entrances. Their guns trained on their unarmed foe's. Crona removed the mask and tossed it aside. Maka smiled wide at her and began to walk calmly around to the red carpeted grand staircase where Heinrich stood. Crona stepped forward, none of the soldiers fired.

"were here to take you home Maka." she said. Maka gently reached out her hand, and Crona took her hand in her own. "no, Crona, I need you to stay. You and I can be happy together, and everyone else too.." Crona looked into her black eye's void of the warm shade of emerald she adored. "Maka, how could we ever be happy here?" "your a god silly, you know that right? The world is yours, and so am I. everything here is for you, you have followers, an army, this place has an indoor bocce ball court, I don't even know what bocce ball is but its yours, all of it..." Crona stared at her and she, slowly, withdrew her hand from Maka's , and took a step back. "no.." she said. "crona.." Maka plead, her hands clasped together "no, Maka, even if I don't have a choice if I'm a god or not, this is not how I want us to live." "your making a huge mistake." Heinrich chimed in, sweat starting to form on his brow. "Maka' belongs to the blood cult now, the black blood is inside of her and it can never be undone, she is now one with sanguine." Justin preached from above. was this really the only way she would ever be able to be with Maka? Only if she were a brainwashed and unfeeling zealot? could she even be considered herself? Was she even the person that Crona was in love with or just a shell with none of Maka's real feelings or thoughts? Crona looked back at her friends who were beginning to sweat under the tension, Crona stepped forward to Maka one last time.

She made up her mind...she had to be with her...the others would just have to understand.

A black mass bubbled from Maka's back Crona flinched with bewilderment as Ragnarok protruded from her form. "Crona! You idiot what are you doing?! Their fucking lying! Get this bitch and ME out of here, their fucking crazy!" the snake under Crona's sleeve suddenly bit her, digging its fangs deep into her arm. Crona yelped with pain and surprise, almost as if her arm was pulled by an unseen force she flung her wrist forward and as she did the snake whirled itself like an arrow, projecting itself at Maka's face.

Before anyone could react Maka hit the floor, the snake crawling down her esophagus, afterward she appeared to suffer a catastrophic epileptic seizure. Everyone stood staring. "wounded knee!" kid shouted. Instantly Blacks*star dropped from the outside ledge of the building crashing through a second story window right behind Justin who spun with zeal around in time to deflect the Ninjas blow from his chain scythe.

Without any other prompting, Patty and Liz took pistol form and kid took them in hand and Marie transformed for Stien, soul looked around, Maka was incapacitated, there was nothing in the plan about what he was supposed to do. He looked over at Crona as the soldiers began to open fire. Heinrich reached for his pistol and aimed for Crona, Soul charged at him "no you don't!" without much of an effort Heinrich pistol wiped him on the top of his head, knocking him in a daze back into Crona who caught him. "soul!" she shook him " wake up!" Heinrich pulled the trigger, shooting her in the shoulder, she shouted with pain, his hallow point ammunition had a sting that made even her resilient body shutter. Stien arrived to shield her from Heinrich. Crona dragged soul away from them "soul I need you to be my weapon!" "that wont work!" she shook him by the shoulders "we have to try or your going to get killed out here." they dodged some incoming fire that tore through the tiled floor. "okay! But I waned you!" he then transformed, leaving all to bare witness to his powerful form. He landed in crona's hand, she awaited the reveal of what aw inspiring token of death he would transform into...a grain sickle, with a four inch broom handle and rounded blade, similar to that featured on the soviet flag. Crona stared at him in her hand. "really?" she asked, ignoring the bullets that began to pelt her frame. "hay, I'm doing my best here, its been a really long time!" he snapped. Crona shook off her disappointment and ran back into the fray.


	24. chapter 24

It wasn't difficult for kid to tare the soldiers around them to ribbons with his marksmanship, but the sheer volume of troops had been vastly underestimated, it was hard to think of where this many soldiers could be kept even in such a large compound. Their weapons were not a huge problem, the small arms fire would have been enough to put down mortal resistance but most of the firearms were largely infective against powerful meisters even still the high mass of enemy fire was trechorus and Heinrich's hallow point ammunition was proving to be quite potent, after stien took a couple of rounds directly, he found himself carefully avoiding the wrath of his vicious P0-8 Luger with its antiqued blue frame and long sleek barrel. But with every missed shot Stien came closer in a serpentine charge wielding his demon weapon. Stien smacked him with bone crushing force into the wall several feet behind him cracking the wall like an eggshell. As the drywall dust cleared around him he lifted his head, blood dripping down his face.

Stine stepped over his military cap on the floor as he came closer. Heinrich smiled, his teeth soaked with black blood. "i know you, the legendary Franken Stien..Stien..hmm, a Jewish name right? Oh you have the look about you, coin snatcher. Well I will admit, its been a long time sense iv killed one of your kind, it almost makes me reminisce.." he said with a toxic grin on his blood spattered face. "your delusional Heinrich, you've lost." Heinrich spat a mouth full of black blood onto the floor next to him, it sizzled and evaporated. "arrogant pig, so sure of yourself aren't you? You think that just because these children you call meisters can kill a few of our men that you have won the battle?" "whats your end game now Heinrich? Crona is not here as your savior." "it matters not, I will kill her myself and I will become the blood god!" he shouted, his voice echoing.

Heinrich's form rumbled as his arms began to elongate, flesh tearing all around his body, head twisting around with a sicking snap as his spinal column grew, His head began morphing into that hellish shape with deer like horns. The fingers on his hands extending into spindling claws. He took that horrible skeletal form that he used to fight lord death. Stien watched with fascination and terror. The ground shook as he took a lumbering step toward Stien. "I'm going to feast on your flesh right in front of your pathetic Soul Eater." he growled. He charged knocking over a decorative statue and smashing a grandfather clock in his path. The ground rumbled with his hulking movements. He slashed at Stien with his claws missing stien but slicing through a couple of black blood soldiers who had come to help their leader but had gotten in his way.

As doctor Stien and Heinrich began to clash, Crona made it to a spot in a separate room away from the battle with Maka's unconscious body. She sat Maka on the floor gently and caressed her cheek. Crona wasn't a person of many words, and right now it was hard to think of anything else to say to Maka but what she had wanted to say always. she leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Maka if you can hear me, just..I love you." she rested her forehead against Maka's. After a moment, Maka stirred. Crona looked down into her clenched eyes with hope on her breath.

Maka shoved her away, Crona had several feelings about that, she blinked with astonishment, Maka's eyes were different yet again but still not her own, this time they were not emerald, or Black like they just had been, now they were serpent like, just as- "mom!" Crona shouted recognizing the eye's of her dead mother "surprised?" "y-yeah! What are you doing in Maka's body? Were you trapped inside that snake?" "i wasn't trapped." Medusa asserted, she seemed insulted by the very idea. "i wasn't trapped, I sealed my soul inside of that snake and hitched a ride with you so that I could find a new body." Crona bit her lip. "you..you cant keep that one. Maka is to important to me." Medusa stood unsteady on her new set of legs. "I'm just borrowing this one. She's to flat chested and her ankles are fat." "mom!" Medusa rolled her eyes "come on Crona, you've been shot and stabbed a million times this week, a little honesty wont kill you. You can have her back when iv stacked a few bodys" she began to rip her black flowing dress at her thigh so that she could move without tripping. She tossed the scraps of cloth away. "now, I'm going to go get some revenge, don't play nice now sweety." she said as she formed a vector arrow under her feet, launching herself into the next room. "wait! Mom!" as she rocketed into a mob of armed conscripts, Crona caught a glimpse of Maka's back side, she stopped and covered her eyes' her face glowing red "oh gosh...she's not waring any pants.."

(outside)

it was safe to say that Justin had gone insane a long time ago, possibly before he left Death City behind but now, seeing his god, the figure of his admiration and obsession defer his faith, he completely lost his mind to existential madness. He screamed, ripping the iron jaw of his mask from its hinges cutting into his flesh, he licked his bleeding fingers savoring the taste of his red blood. Black*star could hardly believe what he was seeing, a once devout god fearing man denatured into an animal. Justin struck out with his bladed arms, Black*star evaded his assault and roughly countered pegging his ribs, sinking the blade of his scythe deep into his side, Justin, formed his fists into metallic gauntlets and garbed the blade painlessly pulling it from his ribs, he smashed his other fist into black*stars shoulder, the ninja kicked him away, only a couple of feet but Justin was out for blood, he grabbed Black*Star by the throat and threw him through the wall, through Drywall, wood and brick, black*star fell into the court yard below, an avalanche of debris falling onto him. Justin jumped through the hole in the wall landing on a knee near where the Star had fallen. He scanned the debris for his blue hared punching bag but didn't see him. "where did you go little one? The sermon isn't over yet!" he took a sharp breath hearing the distinct tang of chains being pulled tight. "trap star, vice grip!" in an instant, chains that had been hidden in the dirt under his feet pulled tightly around his frame, the ninja dropped in front of him as the chains began to squeeze him, he growled as he felt bones began to pop and dislocate.

Justin grinned as the chains began to burst one by one, blades protruding from between them. The chains exploded from his body, the metallic bits raining like shrapnel. His body began to glow, his eyes open so wide that the red viscera of his eye sockets was visible. "now you shall know fear meister, now I am become death, destroyer of worlds!" his skin was bleeding from the metal blades protruding from within he Cast his hand forth sending a wave of blades that erupted from the earth, Black*Star dove between them sliding onto his knees he threw Tsubaki in her windmill sheroken mode. Justin confidently sidestepped the whirling blade projectile. He thrust his hand upward commanding a blade that skewered black*star from behind.

A white flash of pain flashed in Back*Stars vision as the Scythe blade lifted him off the ground, he gagged as blood spilled over his lips, his body sliding further down the impaling blade. Justin put his arms up in self praise as black*star looked down at him, and his body went limp.

Justin felt an impact from behind, the windmill shurokin on rebound sliced through his midsection cleaving the man in half .his face was slack with uncertainty of what had just happened to him. His body hit the ground but he couldn't feel his legs, and with a shaking fearful glance downward he found that they were not attached to his body. He set his chin in the dirt, now suddenly feeling to week to even lift his head. He could see now that the he hadn't impaled Black*Star at all, it was a dummy duplicate. The man himself stepped into Justin's view, squatting in front of him, he silently curse him and his cartoonish Ninja tropes. "I deserve this." Justin said with a cough, his voice very faint. neither Black*star or Tsubaki replied. He rolled with his last bit of strength onto his back, he scraped up a fist full of dirt in his hand and stuffed it into his moth, "my faith was not strong enough, I am, undesirable.." he said, now falling silent, his eyes still open as his body began to evaporate leaving behind his corrupted soul.


	25. Chapter 25

(from the author)

hay guys, it's Daniel Mathis writing to you from the closet iv been trapped in for months as various imposers continue to post and take credit for the writing they have been forcing me by gun point to produce. what is soul eater even? i dont even know what the characters look like. if you like this story then fallow it and favorite, maybe then they will let me go. and thanks to everyone who tops by to read this every week, you guys are THE best...this had been Daniel the real Daniel this time, I've been scratching at the walls for week but i haven't even pealed the paint...

Thank you so very much.

(inside the Finch Manor)

Stien blocked a slash from Heinrich's claws, the skeletal beast hissed, its bones rattling and creaking with each movement. It was challenging to go toe to toe with an opponent this size but Stien had matched him up this point, he noticed without removing his concentration from the battle that the commotion outside had become less intense, and that he could no longer feel Justin's unsettling soul wavelength tainting the air. He had shed the tactical vest of his disguise, and his shirt had become tattered in the fight. He could hang on, the meister had grown older but had lost none of his strength, he was sure that the beast could be defeated he could already see the cracks beginning to form, after every blow, every block, Heinrich became that much slower but it didn't appear that he would relent any time soon, but wasn't sure if he could be the one to bring it down.

Stien saw an opening and swung for Heinrich's seemingly vulnerable legs, it was a successful strike, his legs being the only part of his body unchanged by his metamorphosis, folded like a cheep beach chair, Heinrich roared as Marie's heavy war hammer frame crushed through his bones , he detached the crushed limbs from the spinal column of his enlarged form, leaving them twitching autonomously, broken on the ground, the monstrosity hurled himself upward to the second floor walk way to escape further harm, he opened the skeletal jaws of his large horned deer head and spewed a stream of black bile at Stien hitting him directly, the black fluid immediately chemically burning his skin. Stien dropped to his knees, his skin sizzling and smoking like charred bacon. He didn't make a sound but his expression said everything. His wide eyes and gritting teeth, every fiber of his physical being in excruciating pain, he collapsed to his side clawing away the sticky black tar from his face, welling through blister that formed on his skin, his eyes became red and unseeing, Marie could only watch, exiting her weapon form would be suicide, soul eaters could never take the damage that meisters can. But did she sit there, helpless to watch him burn? No. a moment later she transformed and while under intense fire she aided her husband, carrying a man twice her weight over her shoulder with enough speed to avoid falling victim to Heinrich's spray herself.

Crona had been helping Kid and Medusa finish off the last of the black blood soldiers when she saw that Stien had fallen. She sliced off the head of a conscript without a thought and rushed toward him, she looked up at Heinrich, still perched above. Crona glowered at him, she wanted to say something to him but she couldn't form the word, she didn't even know what it was that her mind was trying to tell her to say but she did, again readers it was that language, one so impossibly old and most likely long dead, the one that I cannot describe to you, the one that none of us should understand and yet we do. She made a simple utterance of this ancient tongue. Heinrich made a face that one would think otherwise imposable for a face lacking skin and muscle, but he did, and even thigh his eyes were simply black orbs, Crona could see in them..fear. He bristled his bony body and roared, trying to retract his inner feelings of fright.

Black blood erupted from her back forming leathery wings, in her hands soul felt utter terror as they were lifted off the ground. The others stopping in mid combat to witness her take flight. Her face plastered with oversized black eyes, and a toothy smile, she collided with him like a missile, knocking the large ribs from his chest, the black misshapen organs and viscera dislodging and spilling to the ground, he swung his spindling hands at her but to his astonishment she grabbed it with her own hand, tiny in comparison to his gigantic size. A black glow radiated from her scythe and Soul could feel his mind instantly slipping away. "you have rebelled against your god. now there wont be enough of you to burn in hell." she brought the scythe high, and cleaved through his arm like soft cheese. And quickly sliced off the other, the limbless trunk of the skeletal beast fell to the ground. She stepped forward, her face shadowed in the lighting but her wide grin almost glowing.

Heinrich's skeletal body shuttered. His jaw did not move but she could hear his voice. "how long do you think you can deny your true nature? Just think, your precious Maka angers you one day and you smash her delicate face open like a cantaloupe, and you wont feel anything at all, these people dont actually mean anything to you, your lying to yourself and you know it. The day that you bathe in their blood is fast approaching, but your ready for it, you've already destroyed you true family, and they will be no different." one of Crona's eyes warped back to soft white "you, stop that..." "oh, I see I struck a nerve. What? You thought that everything was going to go back to normal for you? Now that your followers are all but destroyed and you solved his problem for him, lord death will probably kill you if you show your face to him again or at best he'll lock you away. But you made your choice sanguine." Crona looked at him for a very long time. "i pitty you," she said raised the sickle and severed the thick spinal cord of the beast. After moment the beast began to disintegrate into black ashes, and there was no soul to be left behind.

The remaining soldiers and assassins began to flee, some dropping their weapons as they ran for the doors. There were only a hand full of them left after so many of them had been slain, black*star managed to capture a few of them in his trap star, bounding them in a tightly together in a twitching groaning ball. Some of them escaped, running through the open gates of the compound and scattering into the wilderness, their fates to this day unknown.

(later)

Marie tended to Stien, they were soon joined by the others after they had cleared the building. The burns were mostly first degree and a few of second degree blisters, she comforted him as only she could, sweetly whispering in his ear. He seemed to be stable and aware but in need of medical attention, he was anyone mostly that he had allowed himself to be injured in such a way, he and marie were the most senior of the meisters present and even if he never let something like pride get the better of him it was still a little disappointing, still, better him than anyone else, he told himself. Crona and Medusa were the only ones who had not joined them.

Crona spotted Heinrich's sidearm on the ground inside the tattered remains of his leather coat, she picked it up and inspected it, there was a stamp of an eagle and swastika in the metal, a memento from Heinrich's days in the Nazi high command. As she heard foot steps behind her, on an impulse she stuck it away in the pocket of her robe for safe keeping. Medusa approached Crona at the top of he stares, she hadn't even gotten a scratch on Maka's body. "well, that was satisfying." she said looking around at the carnage. Crona didn't reply, she seemed distracted and imperiled. "Crona, your not worried about any of those things that he said are you?" Crona looked over at her "well..." she gave an undirected gesture that failed to answer the question. "I don't care that your a god, I'm happy for you I guise, the only thing that I really care about is that your..safe.." Crona's face softened, but also a bit red "oh..thanks mom." "well that's a lie actually, in the grand scale of things none of us are ever safe, at any givin moment we will ether live or die and there's no point in guessing which...but I guess all I really should say is.." Medusa mumbled something "i ove you" "what?" Crona squinted trying to put the sounds together in her head. "I'm going to leave you with Maka now, ill go find a new body somewhere. But a couple of things." she said "i can remove Ragnarok from her body but I decided not to kill him, do with him what you like." Crona gave an apprehensive look. "well..I'm not keeping him." Medusa shrugged "that's up to you. Also, Maka is still infected with the black blood but iv had a little heart to heart with her, I think she's going to be okay. She needs to get some rest." "thank you mother, for all your help. Will you..do you think you could ever see yourself living in death city?" she shook he head. "I'm afraid not. But we'll be in touch." "Crona!" kid called from below. "i better say goodbye.." before Medusa could spiritually disconnect from Maka's body, Crona stepped forward, and hugged Medusa. The witch looking up at her with broad stunned eyes, and the next moment fell limp in Crona's arms, Maka's eyes were now partly closed.

Kid came to the top of the stares, holes in his tuxedo shirt and smudges of blood on his face, only some of that blood was his own. "was that you mother controlling her body?" Crona nodded "ill explain later. She said gently hefting Maka' unconscious body with both arms, carrying her bridal style. "we have Maka' we can go now right?" "almost, there's one more thing left to do." something squished under kids shoe, he looked down with disgust. "oh grose..." "well I don't like the way you look ether!" kid and Crona looked down at the black puddle on the floor with bewilderment. Without spiritual energy from Maka's body Ragnarock was unable to keep a solid form, reducing him to a pile of goo. "oh Ragnarok.." "yeah yeah, this must tickle you pink you brat. You always hated me!" he boiled angrily at Crona. She shrugged "well...if i'm honest.." "what ever! Just go, leave me alone." kid and Crona looked at each other and turned to walk away. "w-wait!" he stopped them. They turned to look back around. "you guys were actually just going to leave me? You cold hearted bastards, I'm a freakin puddle! HELP ME!" he cried. "i don't know Ragnarok.." Crona said adjusting her hold on Maka. He began to sob, "pleas if you don't hurry I'm going to be a crusty stain on the carpet.." Crona sighed, she gently handed Maka off to the arms of kid, she looked down at Heinrich's coat on the floor with its warm cashmere lining laying ragged like the pelt of a slain beast, she picked it up, brushed off the dust and set it over top of her. "take her to Marie, we need to get her home as soon as we can. Ill take care of Ragnarok and we'll meet back up here in a minute." kid nodded in agreement.

Marie and soul took Maka and Stien back to their camp and prepared for departure, kid called in to his father for a status report, lord death seemed pleased by the news of their victory, his agents would be arriving soon to mop up the mess and deal with the prisoners. Something seemed strange though, something in his voice that Kid couldn't place, he seemed tired, distracted, kid put it off a stress.

Before they left Black*star and Tsubaki took them to the cathedral that they had spotted. Crona felt oddly compelled by the sight of the looming temple, she took the lead as she strolled over to the thick wooden door and pushed it open. She recognized the place, the Gothic architecture, the odd sotto voce basso humming and weird unnatural white glow. She walked through the isle down the middle. All casting their gaze to the stain glass window before them and the image that it depicted, of the blood god sanguine incarnate, our own Crona in the flesh.

Crona couldn't feel her body but she could taste blood in her mouth, her eyes became wide, her jaw clinched. She saw above her just in front of the stain glass window but just out of her reach, a vision of a dark planet of awesome size, lit by no sun she didn't not know how she had not noticed it before and no one else seemed to be seeing it, it was so close, an invisible titan, all thick black forests and jagged mountains and deep turbulent oceans. It was almost like she could reach out and touch it, Her hands trembled...

"good god.." Black*Star muttered, "those black blood guys really went all out." everyone else was looking up at the window when he turned his head to Crona. And there she stood, with Heinrich's pistol to her head, finger on the trigger, her face void of emotion. "crona!" he shouted and quickly snatched her wrist, her finger jerking the trigger, the resulting shot grazing the top of her head. She gasped. A look of utter horror and pane on her face, but more fear than anything else. "what-" she looked at the gun in her hand as black blood began to ooz down her face out of her head and black star looked at her, everyone looked at her. "what the fuck was that? What were you thinking?!" "i- I wasn't, I didn't..i don't even remember." She dropped the pistol on the floor. "i need to get out of here." she said, holding her hand over the fresh gushing wound "i need to leave right now." she turned shaking her head, eyes wide and scared, she muttered something to herself as she scurried away. Tsubaki fallowed her, worried for Crona's well being. "what are we going to do with this place?" Black*star asked in a deep rigid voice, trying to block out what he just saw from his memory and emotions, kid looked back up at the window. "that's...up to her." he turned and walked toward the door leaving the others to study the cathedral.

Crona sat on the edge of the fountain accompanied by tsubaki, she untied her sash and held it to Crona's bleeding head, Crona's face was buried in her hand's "i feel sick.." she told Tsubaki, "your strong Crona...but your lucky you didn't kill yourself..." . "i want to go home." kid approached, observing more strange behavior from his friend, but she had been through a lot. "Crona, you can leave if you want, I just need to ask you what you want us to do about the cathedral...it's technically yours after all." Crona didn't answer for a moment, her eyes turned down to the stone at their feet. "i want it destroyed, please just burn it down, it makes me sick just looking at it." kid nodded. "i think I can have it arranged. Tsubaki, please escort Crona back to base camp. I'm going to take care of some things." Tsubaki nodded. Crona stood and gripped her arm. "thank you kid." she said, turning and walking back the direction they came.

Crona and Tsubaki arrived at the mansion in time to watch Lord Deaths agents swarm the place in their armored sedans, spilling out of their vehicles, taking pictures, bagging evidence, burning evidence and bodies while others collected souls. Marie started the truck as men in flame retardant suits began to poor gasoline through the halls of the mansion. She drove up to Crona and Tsubaki, soul flung open the door. "we better leave, now. These guys mean business." he helped Crona and Tsubaki into the back. Crona took a seat next to Maka, who laid on the floor of the van next to Stien. "what about Kid?" "i just called him, he and the others will stay here for a field report and debriefing, we're getting these two to a hospital." Marie said, running the van at a low speed into a black sedan that was blocking the exit, pushing it out of the way, it's suited owner cursing and waving his fist. "i think you bumped that guys car.." soul said pointing out the back hatch. "it's lord deaths car anyway." She shifted gears and sped along the road leaving the mansion in the dust as flames began to flutter in the windows. "put me up front I want to see!" Ragnarok demanded from inside the pickel jar that now contained his gooey contents. Crona sloshed him around in the jar, his eyeballs and disembodied mouth bouncing around inside. "stop stop stop, your gunna' make me puke!" "then be nice." she set him on the floor. He grumbled "this is bullshit."


	26. Chapter 26

( [name of city redacted] General hospital )

Crona pressed her hand against the dusted window leaving her hand print on the glass. She didn't know why she left the hand print, perhaps only as a signature of her ever having been there at that spot, waiting on the outside of the hospital taking in fresh some air, but she couldn't stay long, she had to get back to Maka, she looked up at the pink smeared dusky sky and took one last deep breath of the dry desert air and headed inside. She wandered through the hall, watching the sick and the injured, those who had nothing to do with the battle that she had just fought but who's illness mattered all the same. Because of her head injury she had also been admitted to the hospital but due to the healing nature of her Black blood not much medical attention was required, they shaved a portion of her head around the wound and strapped a bandage around her head. It would likely be heald in the next two days but the injury wasn't hardly the most concerning part, the fact that she unwittingly came so close to suicide, that's what hit the hardest, was she just as crazy as Timber Creek had claimed? losing control of her own body? Or did she subconsciously mean to do it? She hoped that no one would tell Maka. Crona stepped into an elevator, before the door closed she noticed a little girl in a wheel chair roll up just outside the door. Crona quickly blocked the door so that it would not close and welcomed the young child into the elevator. The little girl rolled inside. "thank you." she said in a small tone. "its okay, whats your name?" Crona asked leaning down to her. "Janis." she said. Swaying side to side with the wheels of her chair. "what floor are you going to Janis?" she smiled at Crona. "third." Crona pressed the button and the door closed. "looks like were going to the same place."

(meanwhile)

Agents from a vague yet menacing government agency watched her through the security monitors, their intentions purely that, to observe her every move, not that it was hardly a big deal. The world government is always watching, you, me, the president, the homeless man who lurks under the slide at the Death City Elementary school play ground, Spirit Albarn sitting in his own hospital bed back home. (get well soon friend.) being watched by the government was probably the most normal thing that had happened to Crona since she had escaped from the asylum. They watched, expressionless, Her black and white image on the monitors reflecting off of their dark Oakley sunglasses, as she stepped out of the elevator with the girl in the wheel chair and wave farewell to her. The two agents nodded at one another, although neither were exactly sure why the other nodded in the first place, one put his cigaret out in an ash tray and stood. "a good kid." said the agent who was not tall to the agent who was not short. And the agent who was not short grunted in response, he never had a response for that sort of thing, not the kind that his partner would ever want to hear, he was sensitive and he respected that, he decided to have no comment. "I'm going to get some water." he said and exited the room, leaving his partner, still staring at the screen.

(back in the third floor hallway)

Crona turned the knob and opened the door. The room was a little louder than it should have been with resting patients. The TV volume was not blaring but everyone could hear it, playing a rerun of that mornings airing of "The Price is Right Death Mach Edition", the room was a clatter with the noises of human existence. Kid was turning the pages of his news paper and Liz filing her nails to razor sharp tips while patty chattered about everything that was going on. Stien sat fully awake in his bed, but covered head to toe in bandages like a mummy, Marie fanned him with a flimsy magazine, only his eyes and eyebrows were visible but it was clear that he was very uncomfortable and agitated. Maka had still not woken up, the doctors told them that she was not in a coma but her body needed quite some time to recover and that she would sleep for some time, and then they would have to discuss her black blood before she was released. Crona took her seat next to Maka's bed, on the other side soul sitting by her as well, after a moment and an uncomfortable shuffle Soul Scooted his chair a bit closer to Maka's bed. Crona glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow. He looked away just at the second she looked at him. Crona leaned a bit closer to Maka, she inspected her resting friend then glanced over at soul again, glaring at her. She raised her head and looked directly at him, he again pretended not to have been staring daggers at her. And on and on this foolishness went until Maka Stirred, both soul and Crona raised from their seats and leaned over the railing of the bed, staring at her intently.

She slowly. cracked. her eyelids. And she stared blankly at the wall straight ahead, her fuzzy sight slowly focusing in on the two faces in her vision.

"I need...water.." she croaked.

(seconds later)

"get out of my way you creep she was talking to me!" soul and Crona engaged in a nasty nonlethal fisticuffs in front of the vending machine in the hall. A few feet away the suit and sunglasses waring agent, the one that was not tall, stood watching and snapping Polaroid photographs with an over sized camera with the flash on, he had no intentions on hiding the fact that he was watching them, but neither of them noticed him at all and by the time they were finished fighting he was gone, there was another vending machine on the third floor where he could get his water anyway.

Meanwhile back in the room Marie handed Maka, the bottle of water that the nurse had brought in only half an hour ago and then called Crona and soul back into the room, scolding them for fighting in a hospital.

"your back with us." soul said. Maka looked at him for a moment unsure of what to say to him, she smiled. "yeah..." she paused. "how long has it been?" "how much do you remember?" kid asked from over Soul's shoulder. "just..bad things, I don't want to remember..I'm much happier in this moment." she looked over at Crona, locking eyes with her. "i remember your mother. Talking to me, I wasn't me for a while, she set me straight, I didn't get a chance to thank her for that." she looked around at everyone gathered around her bed and then down at her legs, covered by a hospital blanket. "but I want to thank all of you. I cant wate the be back home." her face lit up a little "oh and we'll have to celibate, Crona what do you think?" she let out heavy breath suddenly feeling light headed, and laid her head back down into her pillow. "that sounds great Maka. Try and get some rest for now." Crona said with a hand on her shoulder. "i just cant stop thinking about how much fun were going to have." she smiled at her. "awww" Liz cooed with admiration. Patty and Soul weren't exactly pleased but they didn't let on. "i mentioned treating you to dinner a while back Maka, maybe we can make room for a few more of us." Maka nodded as her eyes slowly closed. "yeah, I think that sounds great..."

(two weeks later)

Around noon two strangers entered the DWMA reception, a man and woman, both in respectable business ware, their skin was pail, they were both in a haggard state. A few strands of the woman's unkempt hair hung in her face, her arms swinging loosely, jaw cliched. Spirit sat at his desk, under his shirt were still a few bandages but all of his surgerys were over, having finally retrieved all the bits of lead from his delicate human form. He looked up at them with a welcoming smile. "hello." the man greeted spirit. "were here from the Timber Creek Asylum." the woman clasped her hands together speaking softly. The man spoke again "we've been in contact with the DWMA, and we understand that one of our escaped patients found her way here." "its no problem, were going to get this all settled and bring her back to the asylum. These kind of things happen all the time. Little happy accidents." spirit looked at them for a long time with an expression void of any emotion. "oh yeah, okay!" he suddenly beamed. "we've been expecting you." he rose from his seat. "here, lord death gave me directions to take you straight to her when you arrive." he walked over to the door and opened it for them. "just fallow me."

he took them down the hall, through the twisting labyrinth of the academy until he was sure that they were well and truly disoriented. "are we any closer? We've been walking for a while now." the two spoke in perfect unison "almost." he assured them. He stopped in front of the large wooden doors of the library. He opened them and the walked inside, the strangers seemed impressed by the cavernous space, looking all around as spirit guided them. "why are you keeping a dangerous fugitive in a library?" "she's just been passing the time reading.." spirit shrugged. "we must hurry, we need to take her back to the asylum as soon as possible, it is imperative, for her well bei-." "yeah yeah keep you shirt on." he said. He knocked on the door of the library office. "come in." called a voice from the other side.

Maka turned in her seat, seeing the three enter her office. "hay dad." she smiled at him. "Maka, these nice people are from Timber Creek..." he he gave her a strange smile. Closing the door behind them as the walked in. "they would like to take Crona back to the asylum..." he locked the door. The man looked over his shoulder at spirit, suddenly feeling a terrible unease. Maka stood. "oh really..well that's so interesting." she said, but her by her expression she didn't seem just interested, she looked down right malicious. Maka removed her gloves and cracked her knuckles. The two strangers backed away, intimidated by her demeanor. "what is this?" the man asked. "get away from us." the woman demanded. Spirit flipped the light switch turning out the lights, the room was filled with chaos.

(California highway Rout 800, twenty miles from Death City)

A cloud of dust rolled by her new car when she hit the breaks, stopping on the road in the middle of the desert, they could hardly see Death City on the horizon now. she was still getting the feel for her new Vehicle, a Blue Hybrid that was preowned and gently used. Maka and Crona stepped out of the car, the Iron Cross patches that had been sewn onto Crona's robes had been replaced by two blood droplet shaped patches, one black one red. she wore an expression of monotone on her face as she opened the trunk. The two strangers were uncomfortably stuffed into the trunk like sardines and were sweating profusely, their clothing ripped to shreds, hanging on their body's like rags, their hands and mouths were bound with duct tape. Crona pulled them out of the trunk while Maka held a gun on them. They pleaded with muffled cry's and tear soaked eyes. "you think you people can fool us twice?" Maka asked pointing the gun at them. "who do you think the real idiots are here? Think of this moment next time you want to drag off a meister or anyone at all for your experiments." Crona pulled them both up by their collars and pushed them off of the road toward the endless desert land scape of Death Valley. "now get lost." she commanded, they took off running for their lives. she put her gun back into her coat, Crona closed the trunk, Maka looked through the window into the back seat, a new habit she had formed, no one there this time. they both got back into the car, Maka let out a breath. Looking at the clock. "too late to go back to work.." she said dryly. Crona hummed in agreement. "now what?" Crona leaned forward and took a paper bag from the floor. "i packed a lunch, Its your favorite." Maka laughed. "we're going to get along famously."

(from the author)

And so, dear reader, we reach the end of this story, this journey. There is much that could be said. But I will say only this:...this is not **THE END.**

Until next time, readers, until next time.

Blood for the blood god.


End file.
